


Reality Shift

by ChaChaCharlieCo, TheAwkwardStar



Series: Yakuza AU (Kingdom Hearts/Yakuza series) [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts, 龍が如く | Ryuu ga Gotoku | Yakuza (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gen, Ryuu ga Gotoku | Yakuza References, Yakuza, Yakuza AU, be prepared to be very confused and sad, i dialed up the angst just a tad, i don't know what i'm doing lol, kingdom hearts - Freeform, this is just a big ol experiment
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-02-04 12:12:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 90,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18604294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaChaCharlieCo/pseuds/ChaChaCharlieCo, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAwkwardStar/pseuds/TheAwkwardStar
Summary: Inspired by my friend Chachacharlieco on tumblr, I decided to merge Kingdom Hearts with another game series known as "Yakuza", where a bunch of other melodramatic ridiculousness happens. This...is the result. A story that feels like something familiar, but with several changes.All the friendships you know remain. But can they handle all the strain?





	1. Friends In High Places

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second time I've ever written an AU, so...bear with me. It might get a little bumpy along the way. I made this a LOT more angsty than I expected...
> 
> Enjoy!(?)

_It was evening. The sun set red beyond the horizon. He observed it as he walked back home with a smile on his face. **  
**_

_Today had been a great day. Both Kairi and Riku had the day off from their jobs at what they said was a “family business”, so they hung out together after school. He couldn’t help but wonder what their business was. Maybe a restaurant? Yeah, probably that._

_He couldn’t wait for the day they invited him over for food._

_….Speaking of food, his mom would throw a fit if he didn’t get home for dinner on time. She’d then send him to bed early without any after being disappointed with his F in math, but his dad would sneak in later to give him some._

_He didn’t want to let down his mom again, though. Today was the day he’d finally make it before the food got cold. He’d make up the test later too. So once he was closer to home, he started to run._

_“I made it!” He leaped over the steps and landed in front of the door. He looked down at his watch and grinned._

_“And with a minute to spare!”_

_He reached down for the doorknob, but paused when he heard his mom and dad talking._

_“…You came in through the backyard again. You just love doing acrobatics over the fence, don’t you?”_

_“Oh, Sora! Why did you dye your hair black?!? It was such a lovely shade of brown, and those blonde highlights…”_

_“Nice contacts, by the way.”_

_“Sweetheart, don’t encourage him! Sora, why did you do this? You told me the other day you were happy with the way you looked.”_

_He reached up for his hair, tugging at the spikes._

_“I never dyed my hair black…and since when do I wear contacts?” He mumbled._

_“…Something’s up.”_

_He grabbed the knob and swung the door open. As he did, his dad and his mom looked over at him. As well as someone else._

_It felt like he was looking into a mirror. The mirror of himself distorted with a malicious sneer. An expression he would NEVER make. Sora noticed his mother’s eyes widen._

_Before his mom could even open her mouth to speak, the stranger pulled out something from his coat too quickly for any of them to process. The stranger pressed it onto his mother’s forehead…_

_…And it went off with a BANG._

_His mouth opened slightly, unable to speak or think properly as his mother collapsed. Her blood stained the carpet as his dad cried out, enraged. He scrambled over to the table to grab a kitchen knife, but got cut off as the stranger shot him in the chest._

_Sora’s eyes welled up with tears as his father crumpled onto the floor, clutching his chest. He looked up at Sora with terror._

_“…Run.”_

_Sora shut his eyes as the stranger shot his father again, this time between the eyes._

_He couldn’t breathe. He didn’t understand what was happening. His body reacted without him as he spun around and bolted straight out the door. Leaving his parents behind like the coward he was. He didn’t dare look back, fearing that his mirror image would be right behind him. His heart was pounding in his ears as he continued to run blindly._

_An explosion went off behind him. A wave of heat sent him flying forward, singing his skin. His face smashed into his concrete, and he screamed. Lifting up his head, he felt his nose throbbing as some blood came out. His head was spinning._

_“Pathetic.”_

_Sora lifted his eyes, staring up at the horrible murderer who shared his face. He glanced past the stranger for a split second and saw his home going down in flames. He started to tremble as the stranger shoved the gun under his jaw._

_“Let’s see….how would like to die? Maybe in this position?” He smirked as he raised the gun up. “Or maybe like your mommy and daddy?”_

_Sora gritted his teeth. He desperately wanted to shout Kairi and Riku’s names, but it wasn’t like they would hear him._

_“Don’t bother talking. No one listens to the dead.”_

_The stranger placed his index finger on the trigger._

_“Good riddance.”_

******

Sora rose up from bed in a frantic state, breathing in and out shakily. He placed a hand on the side of his head, sweating.

_…Another nightmare…._

He could still hear the sound of the gunshot ringing in his ears. He lowered his head, feeling his heart flood with sadness and guilt.

_….Maybe I should’ve been killed that day. At least then, Riku and Kairi wouldn’t have to deal with me. And I’d get to see my parents again…_

Sora laughed a little to himself.

_Who am I kidding? I wouldn’t even deserve that. I’m not a kid anymore._

Sora hopped out of bed, slapping his own cheeks as he looked at himself in the mirror. They’d gotten a bit more chiseled since then, but he had nothing on Riku. His hair was an absolute mess of spikes, and his pajamas were all gross and crinkled from moving around so much.

…He needed a quick shower. Then it was go time. He wasn’t about to be late for work again.

“Okay! Time to seize the day!”

*******

_…Sometimes, this job is painfully boring._

Kairi sighed, skimming through the pile of papers she had to painstakingly sign one by one. She heard a low chuckle behind her.

“You’re not helping, Riku.”

“Doesn’t make it any less funny.” Riku crossed his arms, a humored expression on his face.

“Just how many loans did you give out to people who needed it?”

“Enough to give me a headache.” Kairi rubbed her forehead.

“…How much interest are you going to charge them?” Riku inquired.

“I’ll charge an obscene amount to the ones who rub me the wrong way. They’re generally criminals anyways. Dilan and Aeleus will give them a vivid warning if they don’t pay us back.”

Riku raised an eyebrow. Kairi waved her hand dismissively.

“Relax. I’m not going to kill them. They’ll just get beat up a little. It’s the best way to get my point across.”

“Which would be?”

Kairi glanced back at him.

“…That _I’m_ the boss now.”

Riku curved his lips. “They already know that, though.”

“I have to reinforce it frequently. Otherwise, no one will ever take me seriously.” Kairi slid back in her chair. She blew a strand of her bangs off of her eyes.

Riku shrugged. “…At least you’ve got me and Sora. We know how scary you can get.”

“Speaking of Sora…” Kairi turned her eyes towards the clock on her desk.

“…He’s not here yet.”

Riku sighed. “He’s going to be late again.”

The two of them jumped as the door to Kairi’s office was kicked open. They almost reached for their weapons until they realized it was Sora. He burst in with a spoon in his mouth and yogurt in his hand. Riku tucked his katana back into its sheath.

“You made it. Just barely.”

Sora took the spoon out of his mouth and bowed in embarrassment.

“S…sorry!!! It won’t happen again! I overslept….”

“At least you were on time. That counts for something, you lazy bum.” Kairi smiled brightly at him. She very rarely smiled at other people in the building to keep the ‘cold, heartless boss’ act up. She would save it for moments when she was alone with Sora and Riku.

“Sora, you’ve got a little…” Riku pointed at the side of his own mouth. There was a bit of yogurt on Sora’s face. Sora quickly wiped it off, understanding Riku’s motions.

“Kind of hard to believe you’re our best hitman.”

 _“Hey!!!”_  Sora pouted as Riku laughed at him.

“It’s believable! Kairi, help me out here!”

Kairi clasped her hands together on her desk, giving him an amused look.

“Well…Riku isn’t entirely wrong. But you’re very good at what you do, and you are serious when it’s necessary. So you get a pass.”

“I’ll take it!” Sora smiled from ear to ear, making Riku snort. Kairi hummed as she pulled out a folder from one of the cabinets, placed on on her desk, then slid it towards Sora.

“By the way, I have another job for you. It should be simple. Just in-and-out. All you have to do is pick something up.”

“Great! I love these jobs!” Sora pumped his fists. His regular tasks usually left a foul taste in his mouth, so simple package missions were always a breath of fresh air.

“The location and any additional information on the package is inside that folder I’ve given you. Good luck, and please be a bit more cautious. I know how careless you can get.”

“Don’t worry, Kairi. You can count on me!” Sora gave her a thumbs up.

“Good. And if you don’t make a single mistake…not only will you get paid, but you might also get a special gift from me.” She winked.

Sora blushed while Riku rolled his eyes.

“Well? Don’t just stand there, lover boy. Get moving.”

Sora shook his head. “R…Right! Be back soon!”

Sora grabbed the folder and left the room, shutting the door behind him. Riku gave Kairi a side-eyed glance.

“…Do you have to tease him like that?”

“What?” Kairi said innocently. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I know you don’t have the guts to actually kiss him. So why do you do it?” Riku smirked.

Kairi looked down, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink.

“…He knows how I feel about him. Sooner or later, I’ll have the courage to do something about it.”

“Let’s hope so. At this rate, I might have to do it _for_  you.”

_“Riku!!!!”_

“Kidding!” Riku laughed. “But seriously, just go for it already. Maybe when he gets back?”

Kairi bit her lip.

“…Maybe….”

****

_“…It’s a cold, rainy day. Just had an interesting convo with a dame. Easy on the eyes, with fair skin and bright blue hair. Told me to look after her two bros and gather some intel on a local group of thugs.”_

_“Heh. My services don’t come cheap. Maybe I’ll ask her to give me a pack of cigs in exchange. The feeling of the fire just barely burning my fingertips gets me to feel something in this dark, empty world. It’s all I can do to remember what being ali-”_

“LEA.”

The young detective was interrupted by his partner slapping a sheet of paper on his desk. He seemed annoyed.

“Isa! What’s up?” Lea gave him a cocky grin, putting his hands behind his neck and sitting back in his chair.

“You cut off my noir-style monologuing. How did it sound?”

Isa rubbed his temple.

“Please, just get back to work. Aqua gave us some more information regarding one of her youngest brothers.”

“You mean Roxas? What kind of trouble did he get into this time?” Lea sighed, taking a small sip of his coffee.

“…He’s in the hospital.”

Lea choked and gagged on his drink. He set the cup down.

“Sorry, I think there’s something wrong with my drink.  _What_  did you say?”

“You heard me.” Isa crossed his arms. “…He was heading home from college with Ventus when they were attacked.”

_“By who?!?”_

Isa motioned with his hands at the folder. Lea picked the file up and opened it to read. He frowned, then threw the paper back down on his desk.

“I knew it. Those damn yakuza are up to no good again. Was it the same guy?”

“Eyewitness reports confirm it. Here.” Isa dug his hand into the folder, pulling out a picture that Lea had missed.

“This picture was taken by a civilian. The image is blurry, but that black hair is unmistakable. The killer is on the move again.”

“But why Ven and Roxas? What the hell did they ever do to deserve this?”

“They’re affiliated with Aqua and Terra, who happen to be one of our own. Not to mention that without them, we wouldn’t have gotten one of those rival gangs to confess to the fire that occured all those years ago. They clearly held a grudge. Ventus took a nearly fatal blow to the head.”

Lea grunted, tapping his fingers against his desk in frustration.

“Okay. So Ven isn’t doing so great. What about Roxas?”

“He sustained the least amount of injuries. And most importantly….he’s still conscious. If you want to see either of them, you’ll have to let Aqua or Terra know.” Isa shut his eyes.

“They won’t let just anyone visit. With good reason, considering the circumstances. So I suggest you do that first, unless you’d  _like_  to get shot again.”

Lea rubbed his shoulder, remembering the time when Terra accidentally shot him there during training. And when he got shot again by a yakuza member in the same spot. They needed better bulletproof vests.

“Will do, Isa. I got it memorized.” Lea saluted his best friend nonchalantly. Isa scrunched up his nose.

“By the way….about your ‘monologue’.”

“Oh???” Lea leaned towards him, smiling mischievously. “Don’t tell me you want in?”

 _“No,”_ Isa snapped. His gaze softened.

“…I just…wanted to ask if you really were still smoking. You mentioned it. I thought you stopped.”

“Aww, I’m  _touched_  by your concern.” Lea grinned, making Isa’s mouth turn down into a scowl. He knew Isa hated mushy stuff, so he would tease him every moment he got.

“But no. Why do you think I got this cooler full of ice cream under my desk?” Lea kicked the container lightly, making it rattle. “Helps me get over it. Might as well be addicted to something that won’t kill me, right?”

“…That’s debatable. Sea-Salt ice cream isn’t exactly the healthiest choice. You could have chosen something better, like Pineapple or Mango.”

“What are you, my _mom?”_  Lea rolled his eyes. “A little ocean-flavored ice cream every day never hurt anybody. I’m a big boy. I make my own choices.”

Isa stifled a laugh. “Sure. Then as a functioning adult, you should get back to what you’re _supposed_ to be doing. No more slacking on your paperwork.”

“Jeez, you’re such a killjoy…” Lea muttered.

“That’s the point. Someone has to take things seriously around here. We’ll talk more about the case later.”

Isa turned around and left Lea’s office, closing the door. Lea looked back down at the open folder. His eyes drifted over to the spiky-haired killer in the picture, who had been unofficially dubbed as “ _The Shadow”_. He picked up his coffee and took another sip.

_…Whoever you are…you won’t get away with this forever._


	2. Dealing With Devils

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm still going at this. For how long? I have no idea.
> 
> This was my favorite part to write. Mainly because I got to introduce some new (and unpleasant) faces.

“Hmm…this  _does_ look like the right place.”

Sora stepped out of his car. His eyes darted between the picture in the folder and the building oddly titled “Sunset Pizzeria” above him. Just by looking at it, he could tell it was  _not_  meant for pizza. Rather, it was a cover for what  _really_  went on inside. 

If there was one thing he was thankful for in this job, it was that it made him more perceptive. 

“Ok…so all I have to do is speak with Riku’s guy here, then he’ll give me the password to get into the other clan for the package…” Sora narrowed his eyes, reading a bit more of what Kairi wrote inside the folder.

_…Once you get the password and enter Xehanort’s stronghold, you’ll be on his turf. Ergo, you have to abide by his rules. Don’t make direct eye contact with any of his members for too long. Don’t upset them in any way. If you do…I’m afraid you’re on your own. If I interfere, the worst case scenario is that it could cause a clash between our clans. No one wants that._

_Enclosed in this folder is also a map that I’m sure you can decipher. Remember: the map is the key, and the center is the heart._

_Stay calm. You can do this._

_~Kairi_

Reassured by Kairi’s words, Sora confidently marched towards the front door to the building and pushed it open. He set his usual cheerful expression into a stern one.

_Alright. Time to get serious._

Sora approached the front desk, where a young man about his age was typing away at a computer. His gray, long bangs obscured half of his face, but the eye that was visible was creased in concentration.

Sora cleared his throat, and the young man looked up. He seemed disinterested.

“…Can I help you?”

“I need to speak with a ‘Mr. Demyx.’ Is he here?”

“Just a moment.” The young man pressed a button on the dial pad of his phone.

“Demyx! Someone is here to see you!”

_“YEOWCH! Could you BE any louder, Ienzo?!?”_ a voice in the speaker yelled in response.

“My apologies! The volume must have been raised…” Ienzo turned his head, but Sora noticed the flush of pink on his face. “I’m still new to this. How  _embarrassing….”_

_“Forget it, man. It’s….it’s fine. Just send whoever it is in.”_

“R-right.” Ienzo turned his head back to Sora, clearly attempting to look unfazed by the fiasco. Sora couldn’t help but sympathize, so he cracked a faint smile and nodded.

Ienzo seemed to appreciate it and motioned towards the hall, smiling briefly.

“Two doors down to the right.”

“Thanks.” Sora nodded again, then headed in direction Ienzo had pointed out for him.

As Sora got closer, he swore he could hear an instrument playing. It sounded like…a  _sitar…?_

“Ooo yeah, baby! Feel the beat!” someone said in a hushed tone. Sora immediately knew it was Demyx from Riku’s description in the papers. He overheard a riff just as he knocked on the office door.

The music stopped. 

“…Come in.”

Demyx’s voice sounded more neutral this time. Sora stepped inside and stared blankly at the person he’d been sent to.

…He looked exactly like what he expected. Light brown hair in an outdated mullet style. A kind of cocky, kind of lazy expression on his face. Seemingly bored out of his mind without the sitar in his hands, which rested on the wall behind his desk.

“Who are you supposed to be?” Demyx asked.

Sora snapped out of his thoughts to string a coherent sentence. “Uh…I’m Sora. I was sent here by-”

The phone rang, cutting him off. Demyx jutted out his bottom lip.

“Hold that thought. A loan shark’s work is never done.” Demyx picked up the phone and placed in on his right ear.

“You’ve reached the house of unrecognized talent.What can I do for you?”

Demyx pulled his head away from the phone when a shrill voice came out. He carefully placed it back on his ear.

“Look, man. You know how this works. I pay you, and you pay me back.”

Sora vaguely heard something about Demyx ‘ripping him off’ and ‘interest too high’. Demyx chuckled in response.

“Well, then you know what you  _should_  have done? Asked a _bank_  for money! Now you’re screwed. I  _will_ get my money, even if I have to send my ‘friends’ to force it out of you. And don’t try to find me. We both know how that’ll end for you. See ya  _never!”_

Demyx hung up, letting out a small sigh. He glanced over at Sora.

“…Alright, what do  _you_ want?”

Sora frowned a little, not too happy with what he’d overheard.

“I need the password.”

Demyx raised an eyebrow.

“…Password?”

“Yeah.  _The_  password.” Sora crossed his arms.

Demyx tilted his head quizzically. Sora gritted his teeth, growing impatient. 

“…The password to enter Xehanort’s cl-”

Demyx shot out of his chair, covering Sora’s mouth.

“Shhhh! Are you  _crazy?!?_ ” Demyx gave him a wild look. “Saying that guy’s name freely is like summoning the  _devil!_  Even though I’ve….never seen it first hand. That’s what I’ve  _heard.”_

Sora pulled off Demyx’s hand. He was starting to get annoyed.

“I just need the password to get in. Simple as that.”

“Dude, you  _really_  don’t want that. None of the Yakuza are places you can mess around in without dying or becoming one of them.”

“Did you  _forget_  who you work for?” Sora started to speak in a clipped tone. 

_“Of course I know who I work for!”_  Demyx snapped in response. “Big, scary guy with silver hair and ripped muscles. Looks could  _definitely_ kill in his case.”

“I work with him.”

Demyx scoffed. “ _You?_  A _Yakuza?_ Very funny. You _look_  like a  _joke_!”

Sora pulled out his gun and pressed it against Demyx’s forehead. He placed his finger on the trigger, glaring at the loan shark icily. 

**_“Is THIS enough proof for you?”_ **

Demyx raised his hands, sweating profusely.

“O-ok, you’ve made your point! I’m sorry!  _Please_  don’t shoot me.”

Sora lowered his weapon, but kept it out. Just in case. Demyx gulped.

“The password. Password. Hmm. What was it again? Oh god…” Demyx pulled open a cabinet and frantically scattered some papers around until he came across a sticky note. 

“Ah _-ha!”_  Demyx took a moment to read it, then shoved it back inside his desk. He’d rather  _not_  give the slip of paper to the guy that wanted to shoot him (which he seemed to have a knack for), but rather rely on his memory. It  _was_  the only bit of leverage he had at the moment. 

“…’Void’. For now it’s ‘Void’. It changes every 48 hours. You’re not…gonna go a  _second_  time, by any chance?”

Sora smirked, making Demyx quiver a little.

“We’ll see. Pleasure doing business with you.”

Sora tucked the gun back into his coat and left. Once the footsteps had gone quiet, Demyx sunk back into his chair.

“That was  _way_  too close. This job is gonna be the  _death_  of me….“

****

After leaving the “Pizzeria”, Sora scratched his head as he struggled to figure out what the map and Kairi’s riddle meant.

_“Why can’t she just say what she means?!?”_ Sora groaned loudly, crinkling the sheet of paper in his hands.

“…I  _hate_  riddles….”

Sora continued to stare at the paper until he noticed something. He crinkled it a little more, specifically in the center.

"Wait a second….”

Sora straightened out the paper again. He traced the lines around the city borders with his finger, and realized that they formed….

_A keyhole? Which means…_

Sora bent the paper in half, straight in the middle. He gasped.

_A heart. Smack dab in the Central District._  Sora grinned to himself.

_…Clever design, guys._

He hopped back into his bright red car and drove to the Central District. He hit the brakes once he found the right building, which was supposed to be tall, black, and nameless. How the police hadn’t tried forcing their way into the one building that stuck out like a sore thumb in this district baffled him.

…Then again, Xehanort’s clan was notoriously shady from what he’d heard. They probably controlled a massive chunk of the entire city. That kind of power would be difficult to fight back against.

Sora parked his car in the alley next to it. He approached the battered-down door underneath a set of stairs, which had a closed eye slot for people to peek out of.

He took a deep breath, then knocked.

The hole immediately opened up. He curved his lips at the sight of searing, golden yellow eyes.

**_“What’s the password?”_** A low, thundering voice inquired.

Sora met the stranger’s eyes with a firm gaze.

“Void.”

The man hummed as a reply, then closed the slot. Sora heard a  _click_ and the door opened. He couldn’t help but gawk at the man towering above him. His arms were crossed, seemingly showing off his rippling muscles under his black suit as he stared down at Sora skeptically. For a split second, something flickered in the man’s eyes. Was it recognition….?

**_“What business do you have here? Which clan do you work for?”_ **

Sora bowed his head.

“…I’ve been sent here to pick something up for Kairi.”

The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

**_“I see. So you are one of Eraqus’s.”_**  He stepped aside.

**_“Make it quick, boy.”_ **

_‘I’m not a boy!’_ Is what Sora  _wanted_  to respond with, but remembered Kairi’s rules. He had to be _very_ careful. It would be best if he said nothing.

Sora stepped inside and attempted to stroll through the building casually. It would have been easier if the intimidating guard at the door hadn’t gone ahead of him to lead the way. At least he wouldn’t get lost.

…He already wanted this to be over.

As they walked, a few other members took notice and gave him dirty looks. He did his best to ignore them, but they weren’t making it easy.

“Yo, Ansem!”

The guard stopped abruptly. Sora accidentally bumped into him, which made the man give him a murderous glare. Another one of the gang members approached them, chuckling.

“I just wanted to step out and take a look at our uninvited guest! And don’t go killing him. I can see you reaching for your gun.”

Scowling at him, Ansem lifted his hand from the gun on his belt. Sora was a _bit_ thankful for the other stranger speaking up….if he hadn’t been the reason for his clumsiness in the first place. The man wore an eye patch. His long, black hair with white streaks was tied back into a ponytail. 

“What’s up, kid? The name’s Xigbar. I’m guessing you’re here for the old coot’s gift to Kairi.”

Sora resisted the urge to answer with a scathing retort. It was becoming infuriating to be looked at as a kid. He didn’t look  _that_ young.

“…You said gift?” Sora said, keeping his voice level.

“That’s right. What, she didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?” Sora’s eyebrows furrowed.

“…You didn’t think it was just _Eraqus_  who raised her, did you?” Xigbar sneered. “As if! Without a wife, he had no idea how to raise a kid. So he got help from his best friend. But since she’s all grown-up now, all he does is give her a present every year on her birthday. Would be cute if he wasn’t a total nutjob.”

**_“Mind your tongue about our Superior,”_**  Ansem grumbled.  ** _“…Or I’ll rip it out myself.”_**

“In case you forgot, big guy, I’M in charge of YOU. I can say whatever I want. I’m untouchable. ‘Cept for the boss himself, of course.”

“Well said, Xigbar.”

Ansem and Xigbar became more rigid as an elderly man stepped out of the shadows. He sauntered towards them with an eerie smile on his face and his hands behind his back. Sora found himself reflexively taking a step back.

_So…that’s really him. Xehanort._

“Heyyyy, boss…I didn’t mean that for real. Just kidding around like I always do!” Xigbar smiled nervously, doing the finger gun motion with his hands.

“I would appreciate if you kept your insulting words to yourself.” Xehanort eyed him darkly. “…I could always take out the _other_ eye.”

 Xigbar almost reached up for his eyepatch, but stopped halfway and looked down with a grimace. Xehanort turned his attention over to Sora and smiled politely at him. Sora didn’t quite expect that, so it made him flinch.

“Sora, is it?”

“How…how do you know my name?” Sora rubbed his arm awkwardly.

“When one has ears all over the city, one can catch wind of many… _interesting_ details.”

Xehanort laughed at seeing Sora’s discomfort.

“Relax. It was merely Kairi who told me about you. I was trying to make a joke.”

“Ha ha, yeah…” Sora forced a grin.

_…Something tells me that isn’t entirely true…._

“Well then!” Xehanort clapped his hands together. “I suppose you want the gift right away. I shall hold you for no longer. Kairi’s birthday is tomorrow, so as her friend I would assume you have something planned.”

_“Yep!”_  Sora’s voice cracked at the realization that he had  _nothing_ prepared. All the odd jobs every single day along with being plagued by nightmares hadn’t exactly given any space in his brain to think about anything else. 

“In that case, follow me. Ansem, Xigbar, you may resume your duties.” 

Xehanort waved his hand to shoo them away and spun around, then headed in the direction of office. Sora chased after him, surprised that the old man was so quick and agile. After several twists and turns (and flights of stairs), they finally reached the room. Sora masked his exhaustion from running all over the place until Xehanort wasn’t looking. He took a second to gasp for air before straightening himself up when Xehanort turned around.

“Here you are.” Xehanort picked up a neatly wrapped present from his desk, then plopped it into Sora’s hands.

“Be careful with it. It’s fragile.”

“What is it?” Sora paused. “…If…if you don’t mind saying what it is.”

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you. I want it to be a surprise for  _everyone_. Kairi always tries to figure it out by threatening her employees. Not this time.”

Sora thought back to the one time they threw a party for Kairi at his house. Even back then, he remembered when she chased both him and Riku with a plastic knife, screaming at the top of her lungs for them to confess. He could see where she got the violent side from now.

“That’s all I have for you. You may go now. Say hello to Kairi and Riku for me.”

“Oh, uh, right!” Sora nodded. “…So I just…go back the way I came?”

“Do you remember how to get there?”

Sora’s cheeks flushed red in embarrassment.

“…Sort of…?”

Xehanort stifled a laugh. 

“Alright, boy. I suppose I could take you back.”

“No no, it’s fine! I’ll figure it out. Thanks.”

Sora rushed out of the office, clutching the present tightly in his arms as went down the stairs. It all looked familiar, so he felt confident about finding the exit quickly.

Xehanort gazed at the boy as he sped through the building. An ominous grin formed on his mouth as he stroked his goatee.

“…He truly  _does_ look the same. I wonder if the resemblance ends there. What an  _intriguing_  development…”

****

“Ughhhhhhh……”

Isa glanced over at Lea, who was busy hitting his head on the wall.

“…You’re going to lose brain cells that way.”

“We’ve been waiting for _three hours!”_  Lea swiveled his head towards Isa. “When are they gonna get here already?!?”

“Aqua and Terra are far more busy than we could ever hope to be. They  _are_ FBI.” Isa plopped his head against his hands, leaning forward in his seat.

“We have to wait for them. We cannot just barge into Ventus and Roxas’s room.”

Just as he finished speaking, they both heard the entrance doors slide open.

“We’re here!” Aqua panted, taking a moment to lie her shoulder against the wall. Terra seemed a bit less winded, but waited for Aqua to move again either way. Once she caught her breath, the two partners walked over to Lea and Isa.

“Sorry we’re late. We both had extra paperwork from another case, and there was traffic…” Terra shook his head.

“Don’t worry. There was no problem at all. Right, Lea?” Isa nudged Lea, who shot a dirty look at him. He sighed and shrugged.

“Yeah, let’s go with that. Can we go see them now?” Lea shuffled his feet. “I’m kinda worried about them too, you know.”

“Of course.” Aqua placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled brightly.

“Thanks for coming. We really appreciate it.”

“Yeah, no problem!” Lea gave her a thumbs up. 

“Let’s get going, then.” Isa patted Lea’s other shoulder and walked past him.

The four of them made their way down the hall to Roxas and Ventus’s room. Lea felt a lump form in his throat. He silently hoped that they didn’t look  _too_  bad. They were like little brothers to him. It would kind of break his heart.

Aqua grabbed the door handle. She hesitated for a moment until Terra approached, giving her a reassuring smile. Aqua opened the door shortly after.

The first thing they noticed right away was that Roxas’s bed was empty. Instead, he was sitting in a chair next to Ventus’s bed and reading a book. His head shot up when he heard their footsteps.

“Le- _ow!_ ” Roxas winced, placing a hand on his bandaged right arm. It was in a cast. The sudden movement had made the pain surge though his body.

“Roxas!” Aqua rushed over to his side. “Are you okay?’

“Yeah. Just  _peachy,”_ He said sarcastically. “What kind of a question is  _that?”_

Aqua lowered her head. Roxas sighed, realizing his reaction was too brash.

“Sorry. I know you’re worried. I didn’t mean to be rude,”

“Don’t worry about it.” Terra got closer and ruffled his hair. “We know you have a short fuse. Just keep it in check.”

Lea smiled a little.

“Glad to see you’re still your old self. And still in one piece.”

“Yeah. Mostly.” Roxas looked down at his arm and his leg, which was also in a cast. 

“I didn’t think you’d come visit. Or even Isa, for that matter.”

“Hey!” Lea wrapped his arm around Isa. “We care a  _lot!_  Even if I’m better at showing it than Isa, who’s usually like a brick wall.”

“Hilarious.” Isa freed himself from Lea, making Roxas snicker.

Lea looked down at Ventus. His smiled faded.

“…How is he?” His tone had softened.

Roxas looked at Ventus with a pained expression. Seeing all those bandages wrapped around his brother’s head made him clench his fists.

“…He hasn’t woken up yet. The doctors say he might be in coma. They have no idea when he’ll open his eyes again.”

“He _will_ wake up,” Aqua affirmed. “I know he will.”

“You can’t say that for sure, Aqua.” Roxas stared down at the bed.

“…It’s my fault he ended up like this. I wasn’t…I wasn’t fast enough.”

_“No.”_  Terra shook his head vigorously. “This wasn’t you. The killer is to blame.”

“I should’ve done something to stop him.” Roxas averted his eyes. _“Anything._ But I froze up. And Ven paid the price.”

_“Stop it, will you???”_ Lea kneeled down to face Roxas, who still avoided eye contact.

“Stop blaming yourself. There was nothing else you could’ve done.”

“How would you know? You weren’t there.”

“Then enlighten me.” Lea placed both his hands on Roxas’s shoulder.

“Tell me what happened. Start at the beginning. But if you can’t right now, it’s okay. I’ll wait.”

Roxas sighed.

“No. I’ll tell you now. You deserve to know the truth.” Roxas lifted his head. “You _all_  do.”

Lea removed his hands and watched his friend intently, along with the others. Roxas shut his eyes.

“It wasn’t just that we were related to you, Aqua. There was more to it than that.”

Aqua placed a hand on her chest.

“What do you mean?”

Roxas opened his eyes.

“…He was our  _friend.”_

****

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

Roxas drummed his fingers against the skateboard he was carrying. Ventus strolled beside him, unbothered by the noise his twin was making. Sunlight reflected off the shining beacon that was Twilight Town University, or TTU for short. For now, it was exactly where they wanted to be.

“…Hey, Roxas?”

“Yeah?” Roxas turned his eyes to his brother.

“Have you decided what you wanna be yet?”

Roxas dug his hands into his pockets.

“…I dunno. Maybe I’ll sing or something. Or be a pro skater. Anything that isn’t a cop.” 

“Why don’t you like cops anyways?” Ventus narrowed his eyes. “…Aqua is a cop. So is Terra, and Lea, and Isa.”

“.. _.I_  kinda wanna be one.”

“You don’t have to copy them.” Roxas rolled his eyes. “You can do whatever you want. It’s your life.”

“And you _know_  why I don’t like cops. That doesn’t mean I hate our sis or our friends.”

Ventus sighed.

“…Yeah. I guess you’re right.”

“Why the sudden interest?” Roxas tilted his head.

Ventus rubbed his neck.

“…I just…worry. I want you to be happy.”

“Why wouldn’t I be happy? I’ve got my family and friends.”

“But you never smile.” Ventus frowned. “And it’s because of what you did before. I can see it in your eyes. The look of someone who has trouble forgetting the past.”

Roxas shrugged. 

“There’s no need to forget. I remember so I can move on.”

“…Even if it hurts?”

Roxas didn’t answer Ventus’s last query, which upset him. Seeing his brother’s distress, he dug into his satchel and pulled out a frisbee.

“Hey, how about a quick game before class?”

“We’re not finished talking about this.” Ventus crossed his arms.

“C’mon, bro. You can’t go to class all grumpy. _Everyone_  will notice, because they all love you.”

Ventus sighed. He smiled and took the frisbee from Roxas.

“Fine.  _One_  game.”

“That’s the spirit.” Roxas dropped his bag and skateboard on the ground, then started running in the opposite direction of Ventus.

“Don’t hold back!” he shouted.

Ventus drew his arm back.

“I don’t plan on it.”

Ventus flung the frisbee, sending it soaring high up into the air. So high in fact, that it completely passed over Roxas. Their eyes widened as they saw it heading for the campus’ tallest oak tree. It would take ages to get it out if it got stuck, since the height and flimsy branches made it virtually unclimbable (and teachers weren’t willing to call firefighters or get a tall enough ladder). It would be lost to the inside of the tree forever, like many other items from students.

_“Crap!_  We’re gonna lose the frisbee!” Roxas sped up, the wind whipping the spikes in his hair back.

_“I’m sorry!”_ Ventus exclaimed. “You’ve almost got it! Hurry!”

Roxas raised his arm in the direction of the frisbee, which was still far up above him. He was going to have to jump if he even wanted a chance at reaching it.

With all his might, Roxas leaped high into the air. His finger just barely grazed a corner…

…But he missed. Roxas tumbled onto the ground, hitting the ground face first. Ventus gasped and scrambled over to his brother.

“Roxas! Are you alright?!?” Ventus helped him stand up. Roxas spit out a clump of dirt and grass from his mouth.

“…You overshot. It’s as good as gone now.” Roxas wiped his face with his sleeve.

Ventus averted his eyes in shame.

“Sorry…”

The brothers raised their heads to witness the inevitable loss of their frisbee. Roxas raised an eyebrow when he noticed something rustling in the leaves of the oak tree.

“What the…” Roxas squinted his eyes and leaned forward to get a better look, while Ventus stared at him in confusion.

“Umm…what are you doing?”

“Look up there!” Roxas pointed at the area where the leaves were moving, which happened to be the exact same spot where the frisbee was about to land.

…A hand shot out and caught it.

The twins couldn’t believe their eyes as a head poked out of the tree. The young man who’d caught their frisbee lifted it up, staring down at them with a strange smile.

“Lose something?”

Roxas was at a loss for words. Ventus spoke up first.

“How…did you _get_ up there?!?”

_“Magic.”_ The young man wiggled his fingers. Ventus wasn’t amused. He was more worried than anything.

“I’m kidding. I climbed up. Duh.” He lowered his arm. “It’s funny. You’re supposed to  _laugh.”_

“I don’t see what’s so funny about putting yourself in danger.” Ventus pouted.

“Then you clearly haven’t been living your life to the fullest.” The young man laid his back against the tree, crossing his legs. 

“And besides. I _like_ this view. Makes you all look like little  _insects.”_ He sneered.

Roxas scoffed in response. “Climb back down, weirdo. Unless you’re too  _chicken_  to do it.”

The young man’s nostrils flared.

“You insult me. This is nothing. Here, I’ll  _show_  you.”

The twins gasped in unison as he stood up on the unstable branch, then hopped off and slid down to the bottom using a single arm. As impossible as it was, he somehow pulled it off without even breaking a sweat. He sauntered over to Ventus and extended his hand towards him.

“Your frisbee.”

Ventus grabbed it, still staring at the guy as if he were an alien. Roxas glared at him suspiciously.

“…Seriously, how did you _do_  that?” Ventus’s expression gradually shifted to one of fascination.

“I told you. Magic.” there was a mischievous gleam in the young man’s eyes. “But a magician never reveals his secrets.”

“Okay, Mr. Magician.” Roxas took a step forward. “Should I just call you that, or do you have a _name?”_

“Vanitas.”

“Huh?”

“Are you  _deaf,_  or just  _stupid?”_  his eyes met Roxas’s hard gaze with indifference. “It’s Vanitas.”

“Wow, that’s a pretty cool name!” Ventus said cheerfully.

Vanitas smiled back. “Thanks. It means ‘emptiness’ in Latin. Much like the pointlessness of our existence.”

Ventus didn’t know how to respond to that. He gave Roxas a look that basically said ‘help me out here!’, which Roxas understood right away.

“We appreciate you getting our frisbee, Vanitas. But we’ve gotta go to class. We’ll see you around.” Roxas pushed Ventus forward.

“Hold on. I wanted to ask something.”

The two brothers looked back. Vanitas pulled out a map from his pocket.

“Can you tell me which room the astronomy teacher on the second floor is? I’m…new here.”

Roxas picked up on that moment of hesitation in Vanitas’s voice, which his brother seemingly failed to notice. Some cop he was turning out to be.

Ventus’s eyes widened. “Hey, that’s our class right now!”

“Yeah. What a coincidence.” Roxas stared at Vanitas suspiciously, who simply smirked back at him.

“Can I go with you guys?”

“Why not? It might be fun to show someone around the campus.” Ventus glanced at his brother. “Is that okay, Roxas?”

“…Sure, Ven. Let’s show him around.”

“Great! Follow me then. I know this place like the back of my hand!” 

Ventus giddily took the lead while Roxas and Vanitas followed behind him. Roxas picked up his bag and his skateboard along the way.

“Hey, Roxas.”

He glanced back at Vanitas, who observed him with a calm expression.

“Nice tattoo.”

Realizing his was talking about the one on his wrist, Roxas covered it up with his bracelet.

_…I’ve got my eye on you, weirdo._

****

After that day, Roxas and Ventus spent the next few weeks showing Vanitas around the large campus and trying to get to know him when they weren’t busy. Ventus for the most part because he liked making new friends, while Roxas simply wanted to know if Vanitas was hiding anything.

…Unfortunately, Vanitas was _extremely_  good at hiding information about himself. Even after all that time, the only thing the boys really knew was his name. As aggravating as that was, it wasn’t like they could do anything about it.

“Even Isa was quicker to opening up than this. Why do you think he doesn’t want to tell us anything?” Ventus kicked at a rock lying on the concrete.

“…Maybe it’s because he doesn’t want us to _know_  anything.” Roxas plunked a string on his guitar, which he brought to the college every once in a while.

“We haven’t known him for that long. It would be nice to get an explanation for  _some_ of his odd behavior.” Roxas shuddered, recalling the time when Vanitas accidentally cut himself with his pocketknife, then licked off the blood.

“Hmm…” Ventus scratched his head. “There has to be a way to get him to open up. He’s a pretty nice guy already.”

_I beg to differ,_  Roxas thought to himself. He scowled, remembering the other day when Vanitas decided to sneak out a dissected frog from the biology lab and throw it at Xion, his best friend since middle school. She wouldn’t stop complaining about the frog that she ended up smelling like for two whole days. Even if he had no idea how old the guy was, what he did was oddly immature and uncalled for. 

“I got it!”

Roxas gazed at Ventus curiously. 

“We should take him somewhere fun with a few of our other friends! If we bond with him there, maybe he’ll trust us enough to share.”

“Not a bad idea. Except…” Roxas closed his eyes momentarily. “What kind of place would he even find ‘fun’? Last I checked, he won’t even mention his likes and dislikes.”

Ventus suddenly got in front of Roxas and placed his hands on his shoulders.

“…Which is why _you’re_ gonna convince him to go with us.”

“What???” Roxas was taken aback by his brother’s words. “Why me? He gets along way better with you.”

“But you have a lot more in common with him.”

“…You’re joking.”

Ventus shook his head, then raised his hand to start counting with his fingers.

“You’re both grumpy. You both rarely talk with other people that you don’t know, so you come off as quiet and scary. You both have a short temper, and you both don’t really follow the rules. And believe it or not, it’s close to impossible to get you to talk about personal stuff too. See where I’m getting at?”

“Ok, ok. I see your point.” Roxas let out a disgruntled sigh. “So what do I do? Walk up to him and say ‘hey, wanna go hang out with us at a place of your choice to reveal your deepest, darkest secrets?’“

“First off, no one would ever say that. Secondly, you need to stop overthinking it.” Ventus looked at Roxas’s guitar. 

“Try putting yourself in his shoes. What would he do right around now?”

Roxas looked down at the watch he was wearing.

“…Probably skip class. I was thinking of doing the same thing.”

Ventus rubbed his eyes.

“…I guess…you can do that, then. You  _really_  should stop skipping your classes, though.”

“No promises.”

Ventus nudged him playfully as he left towards the school building. Roxas already had an idea of where Vanitas would be.

After all, he’d done it a lot too.

Roxas walked up to the giant oak tree from before. Sure enough, Vanitas was perched on one of the lower branches. He picked up on the scent of a cigarette.

_…So he smokes. Why am I not surprised?_

Roxas got closer and sat down at the base of the tree. He tuned his guitar and started playing some random chords that he thought sounded nice together. Ventus and Xion always liked hearing him play, but usually no one else beyond that.

He heard a bit of rustling from the tree, then felt something plop down next to him. 

“You play the guitar. Interesting.” Vanitas’s tone was hard to decipher; somewhere in between curiosity and aloofness.

“I dabble in it.” Roxas strummed his pick across all the strings. “What are  _you_ doing here?”

“Same as you, I guess.” Vanitas took the cigarette out of his mouth. “Can’t exactly do this in there. Not like I care.”

“Hmm.” Roxas continued to play, noting how much Vanitas was staring from the corner of his eye. He already knew Vanitas was focusing on the tattoo again, not his guitar.

“…So, do you have one?”

Vanitas’s eyes clouded. Roxas could already see him getting defensive.

“Have what?”

“A tattoo.”

“Why do you want to know?”

Roxas lowered his guitar slightly.

“…Because you keep looking at _mine._ Obviously.”

Vanitas grinded his teeth. “…Maybe I do. What of it?”

“Chill out,  _sheesh._ ” Roxas placed his fingers in the correct position for the next chord. “I was just curious. Me and Ven don’t know anything about you, so you can’t blame me for asking.”

His muscles relaxed a little. Vanitas smirked.

“Let me guess. He put you up to this.”

“Yep.” Roxas glanced at him. “…He also wanted to know if we could hang out with you someplace that isn’t here. Somewhere you go for fun.”

“’Fun’, huh?” Vanitas slurred the first consonant of the word, almost as if he wasn’t entirely familiar with the concept.

“…I can think of  _one_ thing I like to do. But I doubt either of you would enjoy it.”

“Anything  _else,_  then?” Roxas asked.

Vanitas looked up to the sky pensively. Roxas waited for an answer.

“…Dancing.”

Roxas stopped playing his guitar. He looked at Vanitas in mild astonishment.

“Huh. Never pegged you for a dancer.”

“I dabble in it.” 

Seeing the annoyed look on Roxas’s face for copying his words made Vanitas grin. Roxas exhaled sharply.

“… _Anyways._ Where do you usually go to dance? Unless you do it secretly in your bedroom like a weirdo.”

_“Again,_ you insult me.” Vanitas feigned an offended expression. “I  _do_ go to a club, as a matter of fact. It’s right at the edge of town.”

Roxas turned a little pale.

“There’s a _lot_ of Yakuza activity there. You could get hurt.”

“Do I detect _fear_ in your voice,Roxas?” Vanitas’s lips curled. “It’s one of the best clubs in this miserable city. Don’t tell me you’ll avoid ever experiencing it because of  _cold feet._  Maybe I’ve misjudged you.”

“…” Roxas stood up, giving Vanitas a challenging glare.

“…I’ll only go if Ven goes.”

“Then you’d better hope your brother has more backbone than you.” Vanitas got up as well.

“There’s no use in associating with cowards.” 

Vanitas headed back to the school, dropping the cigarette in the grass and crushing it with his foot. Roxas placed a finger on his chin, thinking about what he’d said.

“…Can’t worry about it now…” Roxas mumbled to himself. “My next class is coming up.”

Roxas sprinted after Vanitas. There was an unusual chill that day, giving a sense of foreboding in the air.

***

“Roxas…are you sure about this?”

Xion pressed her hands against her black dress as she sat on the bed. She waited patiently for Roxas to finish putting on his formal attire. Which…was really just a shirt that _looked_ like a tuxedo and some black jeans. She guessed it was his nerves that was making him take longer than usual.

“Not at all,” Roxas responded sullenly. “I…don’t really know what to think of Vanitas. We’re friends and all, but sometimes he creeps me out. Of  _course_  he’d pick the most dangerous club in town.”

Xion smiled faintly.

“…You called me creepy too when we first met.”

_“No I didn’t!!!”_ Roxas poked his head out of the bathroom. Xion raised an eyebrow at him.

“…Ok, I did.” He scratched his head. “You didn’t make it easy for me. You stared at me a _lot_  before I got the guts to talk to you.”

“I’m sorry. I was too shy to say anything.” Xion pushed back a strand of hair. “…But I’m glad that we’re friends now.”

Roxas nodded.

“Yeah. Me too.”

Roxas stepped out of the bathroom and posed.

“So, how do I look?”

“Like you bought your outfit at the dollar store.” Xion giggled as Roxas sulked at her reply.

“It doesn’t look  _that_  bad. You know I don’t like going to parties or clubs.”

“Neither do I, which is why I’m joining you.” Xion rose up from the bed. “Ven needs all the support he can get when dealing with Vanitas. Who better than us?”

“…You still mad at him for throwing that frog at you?”

“No. It’s in the past.” Xion raised her fist. “…But if he tries anything funny again, I’ll break his nose.”

“I keep forgetting you’re a black belt.” 

“Most people do. It gives me the element of surprise at least.” Xion winked at him.

“…Are you ready to go?”

Roxas took a deep breath, then grabbed Xion’s hand.

“Yeah.”

The two of them rushed down the stairs to see Ventus waiting for them at the front door, staring at his phone for the time. Unlike his brother, he actually  _was_ dressed for the occasion. He was wearing a green dress shirt with the collar open and black dress pants. Roxas cleared his throat to get Ventus’s attention.

“Where’s your date?”

“…I don’t think she’s coming.” Ventus put his phone back in his pocket. “We don’t have enough time to keep waiting for her. Just my luck. I guess I’m gonna be the third wheel.”

“We can take turns!” Xion suggested. “I don’t mind.”

Roxas nodded in agreement. “Me neither.” 

Ventus let out a sigh of relief.

“Thanks, you guys. The least I can do is drive, then.”

Roxas shrugged. “You’re the one with the car.”

“How come you haven’t gotten one yet, Roxas?”

“In case you forgot, I’m broke.” Roxas showed Ventus his empty wallet. “I don’t get a lot of money from my  _part-time_ job.”

“…If there’s one thing I miss from back then, it’s the pay.” He rubbed his arm.

Ventus’s lips tightened into a thin line. Xion broke the tension by tugging both of the boys by the arms. They could barely resist her iron grip as she yanked them out the door and down the steps from their dorm.

“Let’s get going and have some fun! No more sulking!”

****

As soon as they reached the club, they were already worried by the looks of the surrounding area. Ventus swore he heard a gunshot nearby, as well as a dog barking. 

“Please don’t forgot to lock your doors. Or we _definitely_  won’t have a ride back home.” Ventus opened the car door and stepped out, then locked it. He watched as Xion and Roxas did the same.

The three of them stared at the club entrance in silence. There was no line of people. No one but a single, angry-looking guard. His hair was long and black, tied back into a ponytail. Ventus thought that the sideburns made the guy look like a werewolf. They approached cautiously, all the while the man didn’t take his eyes off of them. Once they were close enough, he raised his hand to stop them.

“Your ID’s,” he said in a gruff, low voice. 

They pulled out their ID’s as he requested. He looked at the cards briefly, then back at the three friends. He said nothing as he opened the door.

“Thanks.” Ventus flashed a nervous smile at him, which the guard reciprocated  with a slight nod.

They stepped inside the club, and the door slammed shut behind them. Xion held back a yelp, squeezing Roxas’s hand instead. They each exchanged a concerned glance.

The music started out low. Roxas could make out the sound of a beat. As they took each step forward, hues of blue, purple, and white light flashed across the dance floor. From what he could see, there were a  _lot_ of people there.

…He suddenly wished he was back in his room. Ventus urged him forward, but he got stiffer the closer he got to the crowd.

“Roxas.”

He looked over at Xion. The purple lights seemed to leave a radiant glow on her. It comforted him a little.

“It’s okay. We…don’t have to start dancing right away.” Xion smiled. “We can look for Vanitas first.”

_“You called?”_

“GAH!” Xion jumped as a low voice spoke up from behind them. Ventus and Roxas seemed just as startled. A familiar cackle immediately made Roxas pout.

“Very funny, Vanitas.” He turned back to face him along with Xion and Ventus. “You spooked us. Congrats.”

“Don’t look so upset. _I_  thought it was funny.”

“…I don’t think we share the same sense of humor…” Ventus mumbled.

“Ventus! Good to see you.” Vanitas grinned. “What’s the matter? Couldn’t find a date?”

Ventus curved his lips. “…I did, but…she didn’t make it in time.”

“Well, that’s a _shame.”_  Vanitas’s tone was blatantly insincere. “I got a date, but she keeps going off on her own.”

“A- _hem._  I’m here _now.”_

“Took you long enough.” Vanitas smirked as the blonde girl approached and stood next to him, placing a hand on her hip. She shot him a dirty look, then turned her attention to the others.

“Who are these losers supposed to be? ‘Friends’ of yours?” 

Ventus squinted his eyes at her. She scrunched up her nose.

“What?”

“Hold on…” Ventus scratched his head. “Do I…know you?”

She tapped her foot impatiently. “Ugh, I don’t know! It’s too dark in here.”

Ventus’s eyes lit up with recognition. _Now_ he knew whose snarky voice that was.

_“Elrena?!?”_

Her eyes widened.

“Wait _. Ventus?_  Is that really you?”

“Yeah!” Ventus smiled. “I haven’t seen you in forever!”

“Huh. Small world.” Roxas crossed his arms.

“You two know her?” Xion inquired.

“We knew her back in elementary school,” Ventus stated. “…And a little into middle school, but she transferred. We didn’t see her again after that.” 

“Until now, I suppose.” Elrena giggled. “As dark as it is, I can see you’re still as cute as a button.”

Ventus blushed. Her eyes drifted over to Roxas, and her face twisted into a frown.

“Roxas,” She said curtly. “Still dressing like a hobo. Clearly your sister never taught you proper dressing etiquette. Either way, _it suits you.”_

“Elrena.” Roxas glared at her indignantly. “Nice to see that after all these years, you’re still a  _bi-”_

“O _-kay!”_  Ventus covered Roxas’s mouth. “I think that’s enough with all the hello’s. Let’s go dance!” 

“I couldn’t agree more.” Vanitas spun around and headed to the dance floor. “If you don’t find a date, Ventus, feel free to borrow mine. She’s annoying anyways.”

“Ugh!” Elrena stomped her heel. “He’s  _insufferable!”_

“Why’d you agree to be his date, then?” Ventus asked.

“…He paid me, though I already regret agreeing. I know him from work. Nothing more, nothing less. The only other reason I came was for Strelly.”

“…’Strelly’? Who’s that?”

“Elrena!”

A slightly shorter girl stumbled into Elrena, breathing as if she’d run an entire marathon.

“Oh my god. Did you run all the way here???”

“I did…I’m…sorry.” The girl paused for a moment to take a big gulp of oxygen. “I…wanted to meet my date here instead but…the car broke down….”

Once the girl regained her composure, She stood up straight. She gasped and pointed at Ventus.

_“Ven!_ Oh, I-I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you!” she stammered. “I wanted it to be a surprise for me to show up here, but then realized it wouldn’t work because you were already waiting for me at our school, and I forgot to call before my phone died…” 

She covered her face with hands. 

“I’m sorry. I’m a terrible friend.”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Ventus approached her. “At least I know now that you didn’t leave me hanging on purpose.”

“..Strelly, you picked _him_  to go to the club with?” Elrena grinned mischievously. “I’m so jealous! He’s a  _hunk!_ Wait tell I tell your brother!”

Her face turned completely red, making Elrena laugh. Xion walked over to her.

“I don’t think we’ve properly met at school before. I’m Xion.” She extended her hand towards the girl.

“…Strelitizia.” She sheepishly shook Xion’s hand.

“This sucks. I have no choice but to dance with Mr. Doom and Gloom over there.” Elrena groaned. 

“But I won’t take this moment from you, Strelly. Have fun!”

She ran over to the dance floor, then got swallowed up by the crowd. Roxas bit his lip.

“Well. Guess we’re going in there too.”

“It’ll be fine, Roxas. You’ll see.” Xion nodded firmly at him.

With that, the two brothers and their dates joined the mass of swiveling hips, bouncing hair, and rhythmic feet. Once they loosened up, Strelitizia and Ventus were quick to start dancing in complementing styles. Xion and Roxas struggled and kept their movements at a bare minimum, since they were both inexperienced. No amount of training in the martial arts had prepared Xion for this. 

Meanwhile, Vanitas was practically stealing the show with backflips, leg splits, and even spinning on his head. Ventus and the others couldn’t help but look over a few times at his wild acrobatics. Elrena stood close by with a dull expression on her face, yawning a few times. Everyone else cheered for him to keep going.

Getting distracted by Vanitas was a mistake, however, as Roxas accidentally bumped into someone. A taller guy wearing a beanie and a sleeveless coat glowered at him. He had tattoos all over his muscly arms.

“Watch it, punk.”

Roxas sighed. “It was an accident. I have a name, by the way.”

The man got in Roxas and Xion’s way, looking upset.

“I don’t like your tone.”

“That makes two of us. Excuse me.” Roxas walked past him while Xion’s expression filled with worry.

She gasped as the man gripped Roxas by the front of his shirt, scowling.

_“Apologize._   _No one_  talks to Seifer like this.”

“I’m sure no one talks in third-person when referring to themselves, either.”

“You think you’re pretty _funny,_  don’t you?” Seifer gritted his teeth. “I’m giving you  _one last chance_  to say you’re sorry.”

“Roxas…” Xion winced. He looked back at her, and his expression softened.

“…Fine. I’m sorry.” Roxas glared at Seifer dead in the eyes. Seemingly satisfied, Seifer let him go. He straightened out his tuxedo shirt and took Xion’s hand to leave.

He overheard Seifer chuckle.

_“…Wimp.”_

Without even a hint of hesitation, Roxas spun around and punched Seifer in the face. Xion gave him a horrified look, covering her mouth. A few people in the crowd let out startled gasps.

Seifer’s head only turned a bit to the left. There was no bruise on his cheek, either. He looked down at Roxas and sneered. Roxas suddenly regretted his actions.

_…Uh oh._

Seifer grabbed him by the arms and rammed Roxas into the wall, knocking the wind out of his lungs. He pulled out a small knife from his belt.

_“I warned you.”  
_

He abruptly cried out when Xion charged at him and twisted his wrist, making him release the weapon. Roxas managed to free himself and ducked just before Seifer drove his fist into his face. He’d left a crack in the wall. Seifer turned around and tried smacking Xion away, but she dodged it. She yelped when another girl grabbed her from behind, keeping her arms restrained.

“Roxas! Xion!” Ventus tried getting close to them, but was blocked by another stranger.

“Nice work, Fuu. Rai.” Seifer glanced back at Roxas and cracked his knuckles.

“Now then. Where were we?”

Seifer tensed up when he felt a icy hand grab his shoulder. He glanced back and saw Vanitas, whose eyes were obscured by his bangs.

“You’re ruining. The atmosphere.”

Seifer scoffed. “So what? This club blows anyways, which annoys me. Might as well take it out on this freak.” Seifer eyed Roxas, who got into a defensive stance.

“Get out.” Vanitas closed his hands into fists.

Seifer raised an eyebrow.

_“Make_  me.”

Vanitas grabbed Seifer by the arm. Displaying an incredible feat of strength, he threw Seifer across the dance floor. He crashed into the bar and crumpled into a heap, moaning in pain. Shattered glass rained down on him.

Vanitas slowly stalked towards his disabled opponent, eyes devoid of emotion. The club was eerily silent. Once he got close enough to Seifer, he kicked him in the ribs. Seifer looked up at him, his eyes widening in realization of something.

“W…wait.  _You’re-”_

Vanitas cut him off by ramming his foot into Seifer’s arm, making him scream. He’d hit it with enough force to dislocate it.

“Keep your mouth shut.” Vanitas cracked a smile, then kneeled down to pick up a shard of glass.

“A dislocated arm isn’t enough. I think you still need to be taught  _more_  of a lesson.” Vanitas rubbed the sharp edges of the glass with his index finger.

“P-please, man….I’ll leave.” Seifer gulped.  _“I’ll leave!”_

“Hmm…” Vanitas grinned malevolently. “…I don’t think I _want_ you to anymore.”

He raised the glass above his head, making Seifer yell in alarm. Fuu and Rai ran towards them, despite the fact that they knew they wouldn’t make it in time.

_“STOP!!!”_

Ventus’s voice rung across the building. Fuu and Rai froze. And much to everyone’s surprise….so did Vanitas. Even Elrena expressed complete and utter astonishment, raising a hand over her mouth.

“…Unbelievable…” She whispered. “He…actually…”

Vanitas dropped the glass shard, which broke into several pieces. Ventus and Roxas ran over to him.

“…Vanitas?” Ventus said nervously.

No response. He wasn’t turning his head back to look at them. Roxas frowned.

“…Were you… _really_ going to hurt that guy?”

_That’s putting it mildly._  Roxas furrowed his brows.  _…He was aiming for the heart._

Vanitas stood up. The twins took a step back as he craned his head towards them. There was a murderous glint in his eyes.

“Don’t. Follow me.”

Vanitas rushed to the exit. Snapping out of his initial shock, Ventus tried chasing after him. Roxas raised his arm to block him.

“Roxas, what are you doing?!? Something’s  _wrong_  with him!”

“Which is why we have to _listen_  to him.” Roxas placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“I know you’re worried. But right now, I think he needs some space to clear his head. We’ll see him tomorrow at school, okay?”

Ventus lowered his head.

“…Okay.”

Roxas put his arm around Ventus. The girls joined them and left the club in silence, noting that Vanitas had disappeared. Roxas looked up at the night sky.

_…I get it now. I know what you were trying to hide._

****

The next day, Roxas wracked his brain to try and think of a good way to tell his brother about his theory regarding Vanitas. If it was true, he knew it would upset Ventus. But he deserved the truth. Roxas sat down in the grassy field.

“…Maybe…’Vanitas is a Yakuza. Sorry bro’. No, that’s too direct…’Hey, remember what  _I_  used to do? Vanitas does that too!’. Ugh. No. He’ll  _definitely_  think I’m lying to him if I say it that way…” 

“Roxas. You’re talking to yourself again.”

_“Xion!”_  He spun around, blushing. “S…sorry. I’m…trying to rehearse how to tell some bad news to Ven. You know how he is with stuff like that.”

“…Where is he?” Xion looked around. “You usually come to the campus together.”

“He told me to go on ahead. He’s trying to fit his astrology project into his car as we speak.”

“He didn’t want your help?”

“He’s…still a little touchy after what happened yesterday.”

“I see.” Xion sat down next to him.

“I’ll wait with you, then.”

“No, you’ll be late to class.” Roxas sighed. “I’ll be fine. Ven’s gonna show up soon.”

“Okay. I’ll see you later. Be careful.” Xion waved at him, then walked away.

Roxas lied down on the grass.

_…I hope he doesn’t get any more pissed off at me._

****

After a lot of wrestling with his trunk and his project, Ventus finally managed to fit the poster in with the styrofoam globes. He wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead.

_Well, that took forever. Time to go._

Ventus got in his car and cranked the ignition. He carefully reversed out of the cramped parking lot on the complete opposite side of the campus. Using the car was the only way he would make it in time for class.

As he drove, he noticed Strelitzia standing in between a small, cramped space between two buildings. She was facing the opposite direction, so he couldn’t see her face. She seemed to be talking to someone. Ventus could make out a vaguely familiar shape.

…The moment he realized who it was, he hit the brakes.

_Vanitas._

Ventus parked his car a few feet away, then snuck over to where they were and listened. He had no idea why he wanted to be secretive, but after that face Vanitas gave them yesterday…

…He felt uneasy.

“…friends are worried about you. Are you  _sure_  you don’t want to talk to them?”

That was Strelitzia. Ventus leaned forward a little to see how Vanitas would respond.

“No.”

_“What?”_ Strelitzia gave him an incredulous look. “But…you just _ran off!_  You attacked that guy and almost _stabbed_ him! You don’t feel the need to explain yourself??? And Elrena left while I wasn’t looking, too…”

She huffed.

“What are you two not telling me?”

“It’s none of your business.” Vanitas turned around. “Stay out of it.”

“It _is_  my business, because Elrena is my best friend!” Strelitizia huffed. “Ven and Roxas are also my friends, which by that logic makes you my friend  _too!_  So just…be  _honest_ already!”

Vanitas turned back around abruptly and got close to her face, making her squeak.

“You want me to be  _honest,_ do you?” Vanitas smirked.

“Well, then here’s some truth for you. You. Are _not. My friend.”_ He jabbed her in the chest.  _“None_ of you are. You’re all just insignificant pawns in a bigger game.”

“…What are you  _talking_ about?”

“I’m talking about that veil of ignorance people like you and those two  _idiots_  put yourselves under. You block out the darker sides of this world you don’t like, just to make yourselves feel better. This city wouldn’t even _function_  if it weren’t for those parts you all choose to avoid. It makes me  _sick.”_ Vanitas glared at her with contempt.

“What are you saying?” Strelitzia’s voice started to quiver. “Unless…you mean…”

_“Do I need to spell it out for you?”_  Vanitas took a step forward, making her back away. She noticed he was holding something behind his back. Her eyes widened.

“That’s it, isn’t it. I’ve _heard_  about you. That _killer._ …the Yakuza member that the police have been hunting down for  _years…”_ Strelitzia breathed in shakily and squeezed her eyes shut.

“Tell me it isn’t true. Please. You  _can’t_  be him.”

Strelitzia stopped breathing as she felt something cold and metallic press against her abdomen. She opened her eyes and locked onto his vacant, sinister ones.

“…Sadly, you were right on the mark.”

Ventus’s eyes went blank as Vanitas shot a bullet straight through her. He covered his mouth to hold back a scream and pressed his back against the wall. He felt like throwing up.

Strelitzia fell to the floor, clutching the area where he’d shot her with a trembling hand. Vanitas kneeled down to face her, a malicious sneer on his mouth. She opened her own mouth to scream, but he covered it.

“Shhhhhh….” Vanitas chuckled. “As much as I’d _like_ to hear you scream, I can’t have you alerting anyone that I’m here.”

Strelitzia teared up and started sniffing. Ventus winced at the sound of it.

“It’s a shame, really. I didn’t  _want_  to shoot you.” Vanitas pressed his gun against his cheek. “But you know the truth now. I can’t have you tattling on me to Roxas and Ventus just yet. They’re no longer of any use to me, so I have to finish my job.”

Ventus pulled up the hoodie he was wearing today to cover his face. Baring his teeth, he inched closer to the corner.

“This will  _ensure_  that you won’t tell anyone.” Vanitas placed the gun on her forehead, making her start to cry. 

“You can take the truth with you to the grave. It’s nothing personal.” 

Just before he could pull the trigger, Vanitas gasped as someone tackled him. He hit his head against the the giant metal garbage bin behind him, and the gun went off. The bullet bounced off the wall and clattered against the ground uselessly. Seeing that Vanitas was now unconscious. Ventus picked Strelitzia up and escaped to reach his car.

“Ven…I’m sorry…” Strelitzia said weakly.

“Don’t talk. We need to get you to a hospital.” 

Once he reached his car, he fumbled with his keys to open the door. They both shrieked as they heard another gunshot, and the glass of the door exploded. Vanitas rubbed his head for a moment with a furious look on his face, then startled charging towards them at full speed. 

_I’m not gonna open it in time. I have to RUN!_

Ventus left his car behind, gripping Strelitzia tightly in his arms. She was barely conscious from all the blood loss. Ventus could already feel tears streaming down his cheeks.

_I can’t stop…I have to keep going…! Roxas, where are you?!?_

****

Roxas tapping his foot, wondering why Ventus was taking so long in getting to the building. He was  _never_  late, no matter the inconvenience. Maybe he  _should_ have stuck around after all….

“…That’s it. Even if he’s still upset, I’m going to help.” Roxas rose up from the grass, dusting off his pants a little.

“Roxas….!”

“Huh?” He turned his head to see the faint shape of his brother approaching. He was carrying something.

_“Roxas!!!”_

He frowned. Something was wrong. Ventus sounded extremely panicked about something. He narrowed his eyes to get a better look at what his brother was holding.

He choked on his own breath.

_Oh god._

Roxas sprinted towards his brother. Once he reached him, he could tell Ventus was not doing well. He was deathly pale and sweating, clinging onto Strelitizia as if his life depended on it. She looked even worse. There was a bullet wound in her stomach area. She was barely breathing.

He didn’t even have to guess where it came from. Roxas gritted his teeth.

_That monster._

“R-Roxas….” Ventus’s voice cracked. “Vanitas…he….h-he….”

“I know.” Roxas shut his eyes. “I had my suspicions. I wasn’t sure until now.”

“I need to call the police. And an ambulance.” Ventus shuddered. “But he’s coming. What do we do???”

“That’s what  _I’d_ like to know.”

Ventus flinched at the voice behind them. Roxas stepped in front of Ventus and Strelizia, glaring angrily at the person who pretended to be their friend. Vanitas let out a dark chuckle.

“Ven. Cover up Strelitizia’s injury. Block the blood flow by tying your jacket around her waist and tightening it. Then you can call and get her out of here.”

“He’s not going anywhere.” Vanitas raised his gun. “None of you are.”

Roxas smirked.

“Let me ask you something first. Is using a gun against unarmed people what you call brave? Or is it the _coward’s_ way out of a fight?”

Vanitas narrowed his eyes.

“…What are you getting at?”

“If you hate cowardice, stop being one.” Roxas pointed at him. “Fight me with your _fists._  One-on-one. The victor will be the one who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty….and fight _fair.”_

Vanitas lowered his weapon. He then started to laugh. It was quiet at first, but eventually devolved into a loud, maniacal one.

_“Finally._ Someone who _understands._  Just what I’d expect from a former  _Yakuza.”_

Vanitas tossed his gun to the floor. He suddenly ripped off his shirt, revealing an intricate tattoo design all over his body. There was a massive snake on his back and several cuts and bruises on his chest.

“Come at me, Roxas. Show me what you’ve got.” Vanitas cracked his fingers.

“Hold it. We’re doing this at that construction site over there.” Roxas looked over at the half-finished science building. No one was working there today. It would be best if they didn’t fight out in the open.

Vanitas shrugged. “Fine by me.”

“And Ventus stays here.”

Vanitas tensed up.

_“…Fine,”_  he hissed. “…But if I win, he  _will_ share your fate.”

Roxas looked at Ventus. They nodded at unanimously, hoping that this wouldn’t be the last time they saw each other. With that, Roxas followed Vanitas to the construction site. Ventus set Strelitzia down and did as Roxas said, then dialed 911.

_…I’ll be there soon, Roxas. I promise. I won’t let you do this alone._

****

It was a standoff.

The two boys circled each other, waiting to see which would strike first. Roxas ended up taking off his shirt as well, revealing that he did have a few tattoos on his arms and back. Just not as many as Vanitas. The one that stuck out the most was the one on his right wrist. It was in the shape of an upside down, incomplete heart. The insignia for the clan he used to be a part of.

Vanitas lunged forward. Just as Roxas expected. The question was if he could resist the first strike with Vanitas’s Herculean strength. He’d have to dodge and counter if he wanted to keep his arms intact.

He chose to counter. Vanitas swung at his face, which Roxas narrowly avoided. He then drove his fist into Vanitas’s abdomen. A little payback for Strelitzia.

It seemed to work as Vanitas doubled over for a moment. He raised his head and smiled at Roxas.

“You’re quick. Almost as quick as me. Your  _strength,_  on the other hand…”

He unexpectedly threw his leg up and kicked Roxas in the bottom of his jaw, knocking him over.

“…Unfortunately, it leaves much to be desired. Now  _get up.”_

Roxas spat out a bit of blood. He jumped back up on his feet and wiped his mouth.

_“That all you got?”_

Vanitas laughed, clenching his fists.

“I haven’t even begun.”

Roxas and Vanitas continued to fight, getting some pretty nasty hits in once in a while. Roxas ended up with a swollen eye at some point, while Vanitas’s nose ended up broken. Roxas kind of wished Xion had seen it. 

Eventually, they both stopped to catch their breath. Roxas felt just about ready to fall over. Vanitas was more exhausted than he’d expected.

“You’re…just full of surprises…aren’t you?” Vanitas said between breaths.

Roxas didn’t answer, simply frowning at him. 

“…You know…I wish I didn’t have to kill you. You would have made an excellent addition to my clan.”

“Thanks, but no thanks.” Roxas shook his head. “I’m never going back to that life again.”

Vanitas closed his eyes for a moment. Roxas tilted his head, but kept his guard up.

“Lucky you. At least you have someplace to fall back to. I, other the other hand…don’t.”

Vanitas grinned.

“…Which will make my victory all the more sweeter. I’ll enjoy finishing off your brother. Then I’ll chop up everyone else you know into tiny little pieces.”

_“Stop.”_ Roxas could feel anger welling up inside of him.

“I’ll even pay that girl you like so much a visit.” Vanitas stared at Roxas with a demented gleam in his eyes.

“Xion, right? You know, that name isn’t even real. So easy to confuse with the  _actual_  name, ‘Shion’.”

_“Shut up.”_

“Maybe in her last moments, I’ll tell her that she wasn’t even in your thoughts. She’ll die knowing that you died pointlessly, protecting nothing except your pride. She’ll die knowing that you  _forgot.”_

_“SHUT UP!!!”_  Roxas roared. He charged at Vanitas recklessly, only to miss.

“Oh, Roxas. You _really_ should work on that temper of yours.”

Vanitas rammed his foot straight into Roxas’s back. He let out a soundless cry as he was propelled forward. His body smashed into the incomplete wall of concrete. Roxas struggled to move his body, but found that he couldn’t. He was too drained to even move a muscle.

Vanitas grabbed him by the hair and dragged him upwards.

“Looks like I win.”

Roxas spit in his face. Vanitas wiped it off, then threw him back down on the ground. Roxas heard him pick something metallic up.

“How convenient. A metal pipe. I don’t even need to use a gun.”

Roxas forced his arms to move. He tried to stand up, but he fell back down. Vanitas watched him with amusement.

“Oh, stop fighting already. You’re embarrassing yourself.”

Vanitas gripped the pipe tightly.

“Here, let me  _help_  you!”

He hit Roxas in the right arm with all his strength. Roxas yelled, but immediately shut his mouth. He wasn’t about to give Vanitas the satisfaction.

“Ouch. Looks like it broke. You can act tough all you want, but that won’t save you.”

Roxas bit back another scream as Vanitas slammed it against his leg. He could already feel that his kneecap had shattered. 

_“Still?_  Now you’re starting to bore me.” Vanitas sighed.

“…How about I go for the _spine_ next?”

_“Vanitas!!!”_

They both turned their heads to see Ventus. He was holding Vanitas’s gun, aiming it at him. His arms were shaking.

“Ventus, just in time! I was about to finish off your brother. Why don’t you wait a little longer?”

_“Don’t move!”_  Ventus placed his finger or the trigger. “Or…or I’ll shoot!”

He rolled his eyes. “Please. Don’t make me laugh.”

_“I mean it!”_ Ventus exclaimed. “Just leave him alone!”

“Ven…” Roxas coughed out a bit of blood. “It’s…okay….”

Ventus sniffed, his eyesight getting blurry. He gasped as Vanitas walked over to him, then placed the gun on his chest.

“Go ahead, then. Shoot me.  _Show me_  that you can do it.”

Ventus squeezed his eyes shut. Without a second thought, he pulled the trigger.

_…Click._

Ventus opened his eyes, staring at the gun in disbelief. Vanitas sneered.

“Impressive. I underestimated you. Too bad my gun was already empty before you took it.”

Before Ventus could even react, Vanitas swung the pipe and smashed it into his skull. Roxas stared blankly as his brother collapsed. There was a little bit of blood coming out of his nose 

Vanitas kicked Ventus in the ribs for good measure. He blinked as he heard Roxas scream, and turned to see that he was standing. Fueled by adrenaline alone, Roxas ran towards Vanitas and weakly threw a punch. Vanitas caught it and started to squeeze.

“Neither of you stood a chance. At least you can die together.”

Roxas muttered something under his breath.

“What was that?” Vanitas raised an eyebrow.

“…You…should’ve…looked.. _.up.”_

Before Vanitas could process what he said, a searing pain surged through his shoulder. He clutched the spot, now leaking with blood. Vanitas raised his head to gaze at the nearest building. He could make out the head of someone with blue hair.

He heard footsteps. Vanitas turned his head to see a much larger man with brown hair and blue eyes charging towards him. The black vest was unmistakable.

“Damn it. The police.” Vanitas pushed Roxas to the ground. He glared at the ex-Yakuza with disdain.

“…This isn’t over. Sooner or later, I’ll finish you both off.”

Vanitas ran into the trees and disappeared within them. Roxas let out a sigh of relief. He was tired. The world was spinning all around him.

Unable to function properly anymore, Roxas fell next to his brother and let sleep take him.


	3. A Walk In Allegro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of the calmer chapters I've written so far. As always, writing Sora, Donald, and Goofy never fails to put a smile on my face.

“Sora.”

_It was Kairi’s birthday. Riku was blindfolded, trying to hit a piñata that defied gravity. They were at his house, but it was upside down._

_“Sora.”_

_For some reason, the cake was on fire. Kairi didn’t seem to mind as she took a slice and bit into it with her bare hands. His parents took a picture and clapped._

“Sora?”

_Someone wearing a black hoodie offered to cut the cake. Kairi agreed. That was a mistake. The man revealed himself to be that black-haired murderer that looked like him. The killer licked his lips and laughed maniacally, raising the cake slicer above his head. He aimed it at Kairi and Riku, then-_

“SORA!!!  _WAKE UP!!!”_

Sora’s head banged the table as his hand slipped. He stopped snoring and looked up, confused.

“…Huh? What?”

“About time!” The white duck took a sip of his bitter, black coffee. Just how he liked it.

“You’re lucky you missed that plate. Otherwise, there would be egg all over your face.”

“Gawrsh, Sora. Why are you so tired?” his partner, a tall dog, asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice. He was drinking a mocha with extra whipped cream and lots of sugar.

“Donald. Goofy.” Sora rubbed his eyes, yawning loudly. “Sorry guys. I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. Busy with work stuff. I’ve been having these weird dreams lately….”

Donald and Goofy exchanged a worried glance, then nodded at each other.

“…Do ya wanna talk about it?” Goofy set his cup down.

“No, no.” Sora waved his hand dismissively. “It was… _really_  freaky anyways. I’ll walk it off. Don’t have time to think about it right now.”

“That’s right!” Donald pointed his fork at Sora’s face. “You’ve gotta get ready for Kairi’s birthday!  _And_  get her a present! We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t know it was  _super_  important to you.”

Sora smiled. “Thanks for coming.”

“Of course!” Goofy patted his shoulder. “Now go ahead and eat your breakfast. That should wake you up a little. Then we’ll help you with gettin’ all the party stuff and her gift!”

Sora nodded firmly. “Yeah.”

The two cops watched as he tore through his food and chugged down some orange juice. Once he was finished, Sora set the empty glass down on the table.

“Alright. Let’s go!” Sora stood up. “And I think I’ve got an idea for a present.”

“As long as it’s quick. You’re  _really_  pushing it this time.” Donald got out of his chair and waddled towards the exit. Goofy followed him while Sora took the lead.

“It’ll work out. You’ll see!” Sora grinned and rubbed his nose.

Sora headed for the door without paying attention to what was in front of him. He bumped into someone and watched a frappe spill all over the tiled floor.

“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry!” Sora looked up at the man who he’d stumbled into. “I…can go get you a new one real quick!”

“Don’t worry about it, kid. It’s no big deal.”

Sora twiddled his fingers nervously. The man’s piercing green eyes bore into him, despite his nonchalant expression.

“I should cut back on the caffeine anyways.” He chuckled to himself.

 _“Lea?!?”_ Donald exclaimed. “What are  _you_  doing here??? You’re supposed to be working on your case!”

Sora looked between Donald, Goofy and the man named Lea.

“…You all know each other?”

“He’s a cop, just like us.” Donald crossed his arms. “…He SHOULD be at work. Not messing around in a coffee shop.”

“Lighten up, will ya?” Lea picked up the empty foam cup and tossed it in the trash. “I’m just taking my break. I don’t  _have_  to be at the police station for that.”

Donald muttered something under his breath about Lea’s ‘third break already’, being too ‘self-absorbed’ and being ‘lazy’. Goofy sighed.

“Don’t worry about him. You know how Donald can get.” Goofy patted Donald’s head, who reacted by swatting his friend’s hand away.

“Don’t we all.” Lea grinned.

Sora couldn’t help but snort a little at that joke. Donald’s face turned red as he angrily waved his fists at Lea.

_“I’ll show you, you stupid redheaded beanpole!!!”_

Goofy picked Donald up before he could do anything. He looked over at Sora.

“I think I oughta step out with him for a few minutes. Just so he can cool off.”

“I’ll join you guys in a minute!” Sora said.

He smiled as he watched them leave the shop and walk a few feet away from it to have a heated conversation. Well, heated mainly because of Donald. Sora turned back to Lea and bowed.

“Sorry again.”

Lea waved his hand dismissively.

“I told you, it’s fine. What’s your name, by the way?”

“…Sora.”

 _“Sora,_ huh.” The tall man scratched his cheek, then grinned faintly.

“Well, like those two said…the name’s Lea. Got it memorized?”

“Sure, but…That’s a weird thing to say.” Sora scrunched up his nose.

“It’s my thing.” Lea shrugged. “I want everyone who meets me to remember me.”

Sora smirked.

“I can see why Donald thinks you’re self-absorbed.”

The two of them laughed a little. Sora hummed and tilted his head, eyebrows creasing.

“…You sure you don’t want me to pay you back in any way?”

“Nope. We’re good.” Lea gave him a thumbs up.

“I’ll see you around, Sora.”

Lea waved at the young man as he left the shop. He buried his hands into his pockets, his smile fading as it was replaced by a serious expression. He pulled out a cup that he’d swiped from their table without anyone noticing.

_…If you’re who I think you are…you’ll pay me back soon enough._

****

Riku looked down at his watch. He closed his eyes.

_…She won’t HAVE a birthday party at this rate. Where is he?_

"Riku!!!”

He turned around and saw Sora running towards him, with Donald and Goofy following closely behind. They were each carrying large bags full of party decorations, streamers, and their individual presents. Riku smiled, shaking his head.

“Took you long enough.”

“I…hold on…just give me a second…” Sora bent forward to catch his breath, then quickly straightened himself out.

“Riku, why’d you have us meet up at my house?” Sora inquired. “…Weren’t we gonna throw the party over at, y'know….the _’office’?”_

Riku sighed. Sora was pretty bad at being inconspicuous about his  _actual_ job. As far as Donald and Goofy knew, they all worked as accountants or bank tellers, and Kairi’s father was their boss. They would catch on to the lie at this rate. It was already treading on dangerous territory by letting the two cops stay so close to Sora.

…But…they were his friends. And considering all the nightmares Sora mentioned having lately…he was in dire need of their support. Their optimism was nice to have around, anyways.

“Nope.” Riku crossed his arms. “Me, Kairi, and even Eraqus decided on it. We thought it would be nice for Donald and Goofy to join us a second time.”

“Oh, boy!” Donald quacked excitedly. “This’ll be fun!”

“I don’t recall ever meetin’ Kairi’s father…’Err-a-squeeze’, right?” Goofy rubbed his head. “Gawrsh, I’m kinda nervous now! I hope we don’t embarrass you all in front of your boss…“

 “Relax.” Riku smiled warmly at them. “He’s a pretty nice guy once you get to know him. He can take a joke. I also overheard that maybe even her uncle was gonna drop by for a little. He’s the more… _eccentric_ one.”

Sora’s eyes widened. He leaned towards Riku and got close to his ear.

“…You guys invited _Xehanort???”_  he whispered in an anxious tone.

“He invited _himself,”_  Riku mumbled. “It wasn’t our decision. He told Eraqus.”

“Sora? Is something wrong?” Goofy asked, noticing the traces of worry on the young man’s face. Sora quickly shook his head.

“Nothing’s wrong! I just…remembered that we still don’t have the  _cake!”_

“That’s why I asked for you to come here when I called, since the bakery is just a few blocks away from your place.” Riku took out his phone and pulled up a picture.

“This is it. It’s…actually not cake.” Riku shrugged. “It’s something called a _tarte aux fruits,_ or a fruit tart. Kairi wanted to try one when she came to visit you a few years ago, but she never got the chance. So I figured…why not? I’ll order that. Seems more interesting than cake.” 

“Riku…that’s really sweet of you!” Sora grinned. “Looks like I’m not the only one who got her something thoughtful!”

Riku rubbed his arm, his cheeks turning slightly pink.

“…You guys can come in with me to pick it up. If you want.”

 _“Of course we will!”_  the trio said in unison, making Riku laugh. 

****

After they grabbed the  _tarte aux fruits_  (and after pulling Sora away from the sweets he kept oogling), Riku and the others headed back to Sora’s house. It was small yet quaint, squished in between two taller buildings. He even had a small garden he tended to in the front yard, since he found it was therapeutic for him. Riku was surprised that despite what he did for a living, Sora still had a green thumb for plants.

"Hmmmm….” Sora crouched down to look at his tiny garden, rubbing his chin. Riku, Donald and Goofy waited patiently for him to open the door.

“…Hey guys, what flower do you think Kairi would like?”

“I would suggest those lovely plumerias. Kairi was born in Okinawa, so it would remind her of home.”

“Thanks!” Sora grinned, then immediately frowned. That didn’t sound like Riku, or Donald, or Goofy. In fact, it sounded almost like….

Sora spun his head around. He gaped at Eraqus, who seemed to have appeared while he wasn’t looking. He shot up.

“S…sir!” Sora saluted Eraqus, then lowered his arm abruptly. His face turned red.

_Why did I DO that?!? Why did I salute him??? Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

Eraqus laughed, but it didn’t sound malicious. He patted Sora’s shoulder.

“It’s always a delight to see you, Sora.”

“Err….right!” Sora smiled back nervously. “I’ll…go get the plumerias.”

Sora kneeled down and carefully pulled out a small bouquet of the vibrant flowers. They smelled especially nice and sweet today. Sora glanced over at Donald and Goofy, who gave him a reassuring thumbs up.

“You know…” Eraqus placed a hand on his beard. “The plumeria is an island flower that’s often worn by women. In Hawaii, placing it behind either ear represents something different regarding their relationship status. If they wear it on the _right_ ear, they’re single. If they wear it on the  _left,_  well…I’m sure you can guess.”

Eraqus winked at Sora, whose face turned even redder as he rushed past the older man. He fumbled with his keys for a few seconds, but managed to open the door. They all carried the gifts and decorations inside.

“Hey Eraqus, where’s Kairi?” Riku asked. “She didn’t come with you, so I assume she’s busy.”

Eraqus nodded. “I asked her to join me for a short walk, but she insisted on finishing the last pile of paperwork. I fear she may be a bit of a workaholic like me…”

“You had better make her party worth it, then!”

Sora and the others turned to see Xehanort, smiling as he stepped inside the house. Eraqus nodded rigidly, a strained smile on his mouth.

“Xehanort.”

“Eraqus!” Xehanort placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “It’s been far too long since we’ve met up like this. And for Kairi’s birthday, no less.”

Eraqus sighed. “I am aware. Work has been keeping me quite preoccupied. As I am  _sure_  you know.”

Xehanort grinned. “…Indeed.”

Sensing the uncomfortable tension between the two older men, Sora cleared his throat loudly.

“Umm…we should start setting up.”

“Or course!” Xehanort chimed. “I can set up the table, if you’d like.”

“We’ll help ya with all the streamers, Sora!” Goofy said, patting Donald’s back with a bit of force. The duck shot him an irritated look, then turned back to Sora and nodded.

Sora smiled. “Thanks, you guys.”

“In that case, I’ll put the candles on the cake then give Kairi a call.” Riku smirked.

“…Honestly, we could turn this into a surprise party since she isn’t here yet.”

“That’s an excellent idea, Riku.” Eraqus smiled warmly at him. “I’m sure she would enjoy that.”

“Let’s get started, then. These decorations won’t put themselves up, after all.” Xehanort chuckled.

Sora smiled as he joined Donald and Goofy, then started pinning up the streamers.

 _It’s about time you had some fun again, Kairi_.

****

“Riku…”

Kairi pouted as she walked alongside Riku to Sora’s front door.

“Why are we here? I wasn’t finished with the paperwork.”

“I figured you’d want to hang out with me and Sora today. You know. Since it’s your  _birthday.”_

Kairi rubbed her arms.

“…You know I don’t really celebrate it like I used to….”

“Come on.” Riku got in front of Kairi and placed his hands on her shoulders.

“If you don’t want to do it for yourself…at least do it for me and Sora?”

Kairi rubbed her eyes. She was tired, but…she couldn’t say no to either of them.

“…Fine. But no surprises.”

“I can’t promise that.” Riku winked at her, which made Kairi roll her eyes and nudge him playfully.

Riku opened the door. She raised her eyebrow when she saw that all the lights were off.

“Ladies first.” Riku courteously stood to the side, motioning with his hand for Kairi to enter. Sighing, she complied and set foot inside Sora’s tiny home. Riku closed the door behind him.

“…Hello?” Kairi looked around in mild confusion. It was quiet.  _Too_ quiet.

The lights turned on, startling her.

_“SURPRISE!!!”_

Kairi yelped and _almost_  punched Sora, who had popped up next to her and blown one of those obnoxious party horns close to her ear. She quickly retracted her fist, giving Sora an apologetic look.

“Sorry!” Sora rubbed his head, giving her that same goofy grin he always had. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“What? No. _I’m_ sorry!” Kairi placed a hand on her chest. “I almost punched you in the face! I could’ve knocked out a tooth or something…”

“I knew you’d hesitate, though!” Sora pointed at her, a broad smile on his face.

Kairi laughed with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

“I think you put a  _little_  too much faith in me.”

“Kairi!!!”

“Hmm?” She turned to look over at Donald and Goofy, who were holding a familiar-looking pastry with 20 candles on top of it.

“Happy birthday!” Donald said enthusiastically.

“Riku set up these candles for ya! And he’s the one who picked this, uh.. _.tarte oh-whata_ instead of a regular cake!”

“It’s  _tarte aux fruits_ , Goofy!” Donald shook his head.

“Right, that’s it! Sorry.”

Kairi giggled. “It’s really nice to see you two again. And Riku?”

She looked back at him and smiled happily.

“Thank you. I can’t believe you remembered that I wanted to try this!”

Riku looked away, crossing his arms awkwardly.

“Well…yeah. Of course. We’re best friends.” He grinned. “And you’d better enjoy that pastry. It was pretty expensive.”

“Even if I hate it, I’ll eat it. Scout’s honor.” Kairi nodded firmly.

“And I’ll help!” Sora’s arm shot up, making Riku and Kairi snicker.

“Us too!” Donald and Goofy raised their hands.

“I do hope you save some for us.”

Kairi’s eyes widened. She spun around and made direct eye contact with her father and Xehanort. Eraqus waved.

“Hello, dear.”

“D-I mean…father.” Kairi looked between them with an unreadable expression. “You’re _both_  here. Father, weren’t you about to go on a…business trip?”

“I made arrangements for it to be postponed. So did Xehanort, much to my surprise.”

“I’ve been absent for several of her birthdays.” Xehanort placed his arms behind his back. “The least I could do is show up to one. Especially since it’s the one that commemorates your transition to adulthood. I remember my own 20th birthday quite fondly…”

Eraqus scoffed. “You were completely drunk. You could barely even stand. How could you possibly remember  _anything?”_

“One who is inebriated is not necessarily incapable of remembering things. In fact, I remember  _you_  getting quite drunk as well. You unbuttoned your shirt and started singing a ballad on a jukebox. I couldn’t stop laughing.”

 _“Please_  stop talking about this stuff. It’s embarrassing.” Kairi’s face turned pink, making Eraqus and Xehanort laugh.

“…I’m afraid I do have to leave in a bit, though.” Xehanort glanced up at the clock on the wall. “Even though I managed to postpone our meeting, there are…. _other_  matters I must attend to.”

“Already?” Kairi said solemnly.

“I’m afraid so. My line of work is not an easy one. It requires _sacrifice_ , in more ways than one.”

Kairi nodded. “…I understand. Don’t worry. I’m just glad you showed up.”

“As am I.” Xehanort smiled at her.

“Wait! Before you go!” Sora rushed over to the table and grabbed a small, wrapped box.

“…Since you’re here, why don’t you give your present to Kairi?” Sora handed the box over to Xehanort.

Xehanort hummed. He turned to face Kairi and gave her the gift.

“I’m sure you’ll appreciate it.”

Kairi meticulously unwrapped the present and took it out of the thin cardboard box it was in. She gasped.

“…A music box. It’s so detailed…” Kairi rubbed her fingers against the ceramic. The small paintings etched into it were of tropical flowers and paopu fruits. She opened it to listen to whatever song it held inside. 

The soft melody that played made her heart flutter. For some reason, it made her think of the sea. Always restless, full of life, yet gentle in its own way. After the melody repeated a second time, Kairi shut the box.

“…Thank you, Xehanort.” She smiled sweetly.

“Think nothing of it.” Xehanort shook his head. “I didn’t make it myself. I commissioned someone to design it this way. But I made sure to think of what you would like, despite not seeing you much.”

“You were pretty spot on.” Kairi looked over at him, grinning.

Xehanort coughed and turned his eyes up to the clock again.

“Well. I suppose I should get going now. Enjoy the rest of your party.”

Xehanort waved at them all, then headed to the front door and left.

“…Gawrsh, he didn’t seem so bad!” Goofy stated.

Eraqus looked down. “This is one of Xehanort’s better days. He’s  _extremely_  infuriating to be around most of the time.”

Kairi nodded in agreement. “It’s true. But It was still nice to see him again.”

“I agree.” Eraqus’s eyes suddenly widened.

“Oh!” He grabbed another present from the table. “This is for you.”

Kairi set the music box down on the table and unwrapped the next gift. She curved her lips.

“…A bathing suit. And a rose hairpin.”

“What do you think?” Eraqus asked. “It’s for if you ever wanted to go to the beach again. I know you still like going there, but you outgrew your other bathing suit. It seemed practical for you to have a way to clip up your long hair as well.”

“It  _has_  been a while….” Kairi pulled the bathing suit out of the box, inspecting it. She really liked the design. It reminded her of an upside-down rose…if upside-down roses also had plaid on them.

“Thank you, father. I’ll be sure to use them soon.” She gave him a quick hug.

“Sora and Riku will  _definitely_  join me, though.”

The two boys seemed flustered by her comment. Sora shook his head and rushed over to the table, grabbing his gift. It was smaller than any of the other presents combined.

“For you.” Sora blushed as she took the small gift. She pulled off the wrapping, and her mouth opened a little.

A jewelry box. A  _tiny_  jewelry box.

Kairi opened it quickly, shutting one eye reflexively. She let out a small sigh of relief when it wasn’t what she was thinking about.  _Way_ too soon for that. But it was still beautiful.

“A pearl necklace.”

“Do you…like it?” Sora shuffled his feet anxiously.

“Like it? I  _love_  it!” Kairi tackled him with a hug, making Sora’s heart skip a beat.

“I’m gonna put it on right now.” Kairi unclipped the small latch and put it around her neck. She ended up having a bit of trouble trying to reattach the ends.

“Here, let me help.”

Kairi flinched as he took the ends from her hands and clipped them together with ease. She glanced back at him.

“How does it look?”

Sora grinned. “Pretty. Just like I thought it would.”

Kairi looked at Riku, Donald, and Goofy, who all gave her a thumbs up. She then got an idea. Kairi plucked a plumeria from the bouquet on the table and tucked it behind her left ear.

“How about now?”

“Even better!” Sora’s voice raised an octave, his eyes darting to the left to avoid direct eye contact. Kairi giggled at his embarrassment. 

She clasped her hands together. “Okay! Let’s eat that cake!”

“ _Tart_ ,” Riku corrected.

“Uh huh.” Kairi stuck her tongue out at him. She went to Sora’s kitchen and pulled out one of his metal cake cutters.

“Hold on! You haven’t even made a wish yet.” Riku ran over to the cake. “At least let me light the candles.

Kairi sighed. She found the notion of making wishes a little ridiculous. Not like they ever came true. You had to work for that sort of thing.

"Fine.” Kairi placed her hands on her hips.

Riku lit the candles. As he did, they all started singing “Happy Birthday” to Kairi. She stifled a laugh as Sora blew on yet another party horn and spun two noisemakers in his hands. Once the song was over, he got quieter.

“Alright, Kairi. Make a wish.” Riku placed a hand on her shoulder.

Kairi closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, then blew out the candles. Riku and the others cheered and clapped for her.

“What did you wish for?” Sora gazed at her curiously.

Kairi placed her index finger over her mouth and winked.

“It’s a secret.”

“Aww, no fair!” Sora pouted. “I kinda wanted to know…”

Kairi looked down, smiling faintly.

“…If it does come true…you’ll all know for sure.”

****

And just like that, the party was over. Donald and Goofy helped take down some of the decorations before they got called in unexpectedly to the police station. Eraqus had no choice but to leave and see how the headquarters were holding up with no form of leadership. The last time he, his matriarch, and both his lieutenants had left temporarily, a fight had broken out between some of the lesser members. Better to be safe than sorry.

The three best friends were left alone in house, finishing up all the cleaning. Sora suddenly found himself smiling.

“How long has it been since it’s just been the three of us?”

 Kairi and Riku stopped what they were doing. They exchanged a perplexed glance.

“…It’s usually just us when you show up for work in the morning…?” Riku titlted his head.

“No, I mean like… _out_ of work.”

“Oh.” Riku rubbed his head. “…I guess it has been a while, then.”

“About three months, to be exact.” Kairi picked up a wet ceramic plate and started drying it with a towel. “Time flies.”

Sora raised both eyebrows. “You counted?”

“I have a  _calendar.”_  Kairi shook her head. “You should consider getting one.”

“I do have one! You gave it to me!” Sora pursed his lips.

“I just…keep forgetting to put it up.”

Riku winced.

“…Is it because you can’t sleep? That sort of thing can mess with your memory.”

“…” Sora rubbed his arm.

“…I dunno. I mean…maybe?” 

Kairi breathed in sharply, placing the plate in the cupboard.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really…” Sora mumbled. “And besides, it’s your _birthday.”_

“Well, since I’m the birthday girl I say we  _talk_ about it.” Kairi spun her head, giving Sora a firm look.

“You’ve mentioned this a lot to us, but you never tell us what’s really going on. I understand it’s because there’s never enough time at the headquarters. But we have time now.”

Sora sighed. There was no getting out of it. Kairi’s mind was made up, and she wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. He really did want to get it off his chest. He wanted to talk about it to  _someone._  But…

…He also didn’t like thinking about the one reoccurring thing in all his dreams. No matter how happy, or sad, or terrifying, or flat-out crazy they were.

“…I keep seeing him.”

He didn’t even have to explain who it was. Riku and Kairi already knew. They appeared quite crestfallen.

“The guy that looks like you…?” Riku said in a somber tone.

Sora nodded. 

“He hasn’t shown up again, whether it’s on days I search or not. It’s like he vanished into thin air. But I keep getting dreams where he’s in them, mocking me or just looking down on me like I’m nothing.” 

He lowered his head. 

“….Sometimes…I wonder if I just made him up. Maybe he wasn’t there at all during the fire. Maybe I really was just looking at myself. Maybe  _I_ was the one who…” Sora’s voice cracked.

 _“No.”_ Kairi closed her hands into fists, clenching her teeth. “Don’t you _ever_ tell yourself that. It wasn’t  _you._  It was someone else.”

“How can you say that for sure, Kairi?” Sora stared at her, misty-eyed. “You weren’t there when it happened.”

“I…” Kairi hesitated. 

“…I  _know_  you, Sora. I’ve known you for so long. You would never do something like this. You just need to have faith in yourself. Like I do.”

Riku nodded sharply. “You’re a good person, Sora. One of the best I’ve ever met. I know you don’t believe that.”

Both Riku and Kairi pulled him into a warm embrace. Sora remained silent, which was very rare for him. They knew it was serious on days when he didn’t say a word.

“Guys…”

Sora lifted his head to look at his two best friends.

“You’re…kinda squishing me.”

Riku and Kairi both cracked a smile, then laughed. Sora joined them, perking up a little. They released each other shortly after.

“Well, I think we just about finished cleaning up.” Kairi placed her hands behind her back, smiling brightly.

“…We’ve got a few hours left. How about a round of karaoke on your TV, Sora?”

“Are we gonna get wasted like your dad and Xehanort did?” he grinned mischievously.

“Ha ha. Very funny.” Kairi nudged him. “I can see that you’re feeling better.”

“There is _no_ way I’m singing.” Riku crossed his arms. “You two have fun doing that. I’ll watch.”

“Riku, that isn’t fair. Karaoke is fun!” Sora protested.

“Nope. I’m not doing it.”

Kairi raised an eyebrow, smirking.

“As your  _boss,_  I order you to join us.”

“You can’t pull the ‘I’m your boss’ card when we’re out of work, Kairi. Nice try. Not like you can _fire_ me for not wanting to sing.”

“True.” Kairi walked up to him. “In that case, you should do it since it’s my  _birthday_ and we’re  _besties.”_

Riku jutted out his bottom jaw. There was no way he could refuse that.

 _“…Fine._  I guess you have no choice but to hear my awful voice.”

“It couldn’t possibly be as bad as mine or Sora’s.”

“Hey!” Sora frowned.  _“I_  think I’m pretty good!”

Riku chuckled. “Alright, you’ve both convinced me. Let’s get this over with.”

Sora ran over to the TV to turn it on. Riku followed behind him, but paused for a moment when he noticed Kairi was clearly distracted about something.

“…Kairi?”

Her head snapped up. “Huh?”

“You okay?”

Kairi nodded vigorously.

“Y….yeah. Don’t worry about it.”

Riku gazed at her skeptically, but turned around and went on ahead anyways. He knew she would tell him what was bugging her eventually.

Kairi looked down, worry written all over her face. She fiddled with the pearl necklace Sora had given her, biting her lip.

_….It’ll be fine. Everything is fine._

*****

“You wanted to see us?”

Donald and Goofy wavered close to their chief’s door. Yen Sid spun around in his chair to face them, stroking his long, white beard.

“Yes, I did. Come in.”

Donald plopped himself down in the extra seat, while Goofy stood nearby awkwardly. Both their eyes widened as a few others entered the office as well. Lea, Isa, Aqua, and Terra.

“What’s this about?” Aqua asked, saying what everyone else was thinking.

The chief shut his eyes.

“…Lea. If you would be so kind as to show us what you’ve discovered regarding your case.”

“No problem, chief.” Lea pulled out a folder from his jacket and tossed it onto the desk. Isa stepped forward and set down two plastic bags. Each one had two different items: an empty glass cup and a knife.

“The killer got sloppy this time. During his fight with Roxas, he dropped that pocketknife. And…”

Lea took out his phone and pulled up a picture.

“Roxas sent this to me. A picture he’d taken of the killer while he wasn’t looking. Now we know exactly what that creep looks like.”

Donald and Goofy stared at the image in horror, mouths agape.

“S…. _Sora???”_

“Yeah. I know. Couldn’t believe it myself, either.” Lea crossed his arms. “Who would’ve thought it was that kid Donald and Goofy looked out for for all these years?”

Donald snatched up the phone from the table, inspecting it. He narrowed his eyes.

“That’s not him.” He put the phone back down on the desk.

“Are you even  _looking_  at the same picture I am? Who else would it be??? Well, he has black hair and yellow eyes, but I wouldn’t put it past him to try disguising himself.”

 _"YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW HIM!”_  Donald slammed his hands on the desk. “How could you possibly accuse someone of being a murderer with nothing but a PICTURE?!? It might just be a disguise someone else put on, like you said!!!”

“Except it’s not.” Lea pointed at the two items on the desk. “Why do you think I went to that specific coffee shop, where you three were? It wasn’t for another cup of coffee, despite what you think of me.”

“Hold on.” Goofy approached the desk. “Is that…the cup Sora drank out of?”

“Yep.” Lea picked up the two bags. “I ran a DNA test on both of these with the saliva that was already on them.”

Aqua scrunched up her nose at the thought of  _anyone_  licking that blood-stained knife. Lea started pacing back and forth in the room.

“It took a while, since the sample on the knife was a few weeks older. So I checked them both for fingerprints, too. With all that, I managed to get the results.”

Lea gazed at Donald and Goofy with a look of sympathy.

“..It was a 99.1% match.”

Donald took a step back.

“No…it can’t be true. It  _can’t!”_  Donald stomped his foot. “There has to be some sort of better explanation!”

“He does have a point.” Terra looked at Lea. “Something about this still doesn’t add up. Before you and Isa joined the force, me and Aqua were there on the day of that fire. We saw two criminals escape that day, and Sora wasn’t one of them. He was hospitalized from shock and a bullet that grazed his forehead.”

“He’s right,” Aqua chimed in. “We can’t just assume he shot himself. There was no weapon in his hands, and the fingerprints on the gun discovered didn’t match. I checked the records. Maybe Sora and the person in this photo are biologically related.”

 _“Or,_  maybe it was staged. Maybe he was  _working_  with the Yakuza.” Lea frowned. “Even if he didn’t burn that house down, I still doubt he’s entirely innocent.”

Isa placed his hand on Lea’s shoulder. He shook his head.

“We need more proof than a potentially faulty DNA test. You said it yourself; the sample on the knife was old. What we need is to perform a background check on Sora.”

“What we need is to  _interrogate him._ Just looking at some papers isn’t enough.”

“Do you honestly think he’ll tell the truth if he is Yakuza like you say?”

“We hook him up to a lie detector, then!” Lea threw his hands up. “I’m not gonna let our primary suspect just slip away because the others have a  _problem_  with it!”

“I have a problem with  _you_  accusing someone innocent of MURDER!!!” Donald exclaimed.

“Oh yeah?!? Then tell me, Donald! Where’s YOUR proof that he didn’t do this?!?”

 _“Enough!”_  The chief yelled.

Donald clamped his beak shut. Lea scoffed, averting his eyes. Yen Sid sat back down.

“Donald. You must not allow for your emotions to get in the way and accept the facts that have been given. And Lea. Escalating a situation solves nothing. You both know better.”

The two cops lowered their heads. Yen Sid closed his eyes.

“…A _full_ background check will be run on Sora, starting from his date of birth. And if possible, you may bring him in  _willingly_  for interrogation. In the off chance that he  _is_  Yakuza, the last thing we want to do is aggravate one of the larger syndicates and have them attack civilians in retaliation. The most we can do is arrest him for the crimes he possibly committed. And if he is the killer, he will stay in jail for life. There is nothing the clans can do for him if this is true.”

“The Yakuza have been on somewhat peaceful ground with our forces, as long as we do not physically attack them. We cannot risk this city falling into chaos yet again.”

“…Yes, Sir.” The small group had spoken in unison.

“Good. Now go and resume your duties.”

Lea and Isa picked up their evidence and left first. Donald and Goofy trailed a bit behind Aqua and Terra, still devastated by the news. Aqua slowed down until she was next to them.

“It’ll be okay. If it helps, I don’t think Sora is the killer either.”

Terra turned and nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Same here.”

“Aqua. Terra. Thank you.” Goofy smiled at them.

The two partners smiled back, then continued their way down the hall. Goofy found himself thinking back to when they first met the boy at the hospital. They had no idea how much it was going to impact their lives on that fateful day…

_“…We’ll be transferring him to a safe house. Once he is there, we would like you two to guard him in case the two criminals try going after him. It will also give him time to decide on what relatives he wants to move in with.”_

_“You can count on us, chief!” Goofy saluted._

_…….._

_“…Say kiddo, what should we call ya?”_

_“…Sora.”_

_“That’s a nice name. I’m Donald, and this is Goofy.”_

_“A-hyuck! It’s nice to meet you!”_

_He was young. 16, from what Yen Sid told them. His eyelids were sunken in, possibly from lack of sleep. He didn’t seem to acknowledge their presence. Donald and Goofy glanced at each other and nodded._

_“…Hey, Sora. do you wanna play a game?” Donald inched closer to the bed._

_The boy shrugged. Goofy took that as a ‘yes’._

_“It’s called 'Gummi Ship’. And on the Gummi Ship, you’ve gotta be happy to get the spaceship movin’!”_

_“…Happy?”_

_“That’s right!” Donald waggled his tail feathers. “Which means you’ve got to smile! No more frowning!”_

_“Uh huh. Our ship runs on happy faces!” Goofy chortled._

_“Here, we’ll show ya!”_

_Donald and Goofy made the silliest faces they could muster. Sora finally paid attention to them. A ghost of a smile formed on his mouth._

_“Now you try!” Donald grinned._

_Sora lowered his head. He took a deep breath, then tried to make the dumbest face he could think of. One that he’d made when his parents tried taking a normal family photo years ago._

_“CHEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeese….?”_

_Donald and Goofy burst into a fit of hysterics. Sora slowly started to laugh with them._

_“Do ya feel better now?” Goofy said in a gentle tone._

_Sora sniffed. He rubbed his eyes to wipe the tears away._

_“Yeah. Thank you.”_

Goofy shook his head, snapping out of the memory that now made him a little sad. A determined look formed on his face.

_Don’t worry, Sora. We’re gonna figure this out._


	4. Ghosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The most depressing (and exhausting) chapter. Maybe the most depressing thing I've ever written in general. But it had to be done for the sake of the plot. I promise you it gets better.
> 
> (I apologize to every character in this story. ESPECIALLY Vanitas and Aqua, who will get a much-deserved nap and some cookies when this is all over.)

“…Ever heard of a place called ‘Daybreak Town’?”

Pence peered over at his two best friends, Hayner and Olette. He really hoped that they would say yes.

Hayner shrugged.

“Can’t say that I have, dude. Sorry.”

“I’ve only been told to not go there by my parents.” Olette shrugged. “I don’t know much else.”

Pence looked down in disappointment.

“Researching this is gonna be harder than I thought….”

“Why are you so invested in learning about this town, anyways?” Hayner asked.

“Because!” Pence crossed his arms. “You know I like figuring out mysteries.”

“…It’s not that much of a mystery, dude. You could literally walk there. We’re walking there _right now.”_

Pence huffed. “If you guys are gonna keep complaining, you can just head back to the dorm.”

“No way!” Olette shook her head. “You don’t know what’s in there. You could get hurt.”

“Then we’re all going. I’m not backing out of this.”

Hayner and Olette groaned as Pence smiled at them. He flipped through a few pages in his notebook.

“…From what I found on the web, it’s nothing but a ghost town nowadays. Nobody lives there anymore. They all left when everyone inside the asylum mysteriously died from an unknown cause. There were some old news reports I pulled up of a few deaths and disappearances outside the asylum afterwards.”

Pence rubbed his chin.

“…My guess is that everyone started to think the asylum was cursed and it was spreading to the rest of the town. Like…maybe the spirits of the dead wanted  _revenge_  or something.”

“Creepy…” Olette shuddered.

Pence turned the page.

“Also…there’s rumors that someone  _does_  actually live here. All the way at the top of that hill.” Pence pointed at the massive house that was at the very end of the town.

“So a creepy town, a creepy asylum, and a creepy mansion that probably has a creep living inside. Yeah. Seems about right for a place they call a  _ghost_  town.” Hayner rolled his eyes.

They stopped walking once they reached the entrance to Daybreak Town. Pence shuffled his feet against the dusty, barren ground.

“…Well, here we are.”

“Yep.” Olette lifted her head to read the sign above them. All she could see was “WE CO E T”. The rest of the words had faded out, making them indecipherable.

“Feels less like a town and more like a  _graveyard.”_  Hayner rubbed the back of his head.

The three friends glanced at each other and nodded firmly. Together, they took a single step past the sign.

_“What do you three think you’re doing?!?”_

Hayner and Pence screamed, hugging Olette’s arms. They turned their heads slowly back.

Cops. It was too dark to see clearly, but the faint metallic glint of a badge on the woman’s belt managed to give it away. The man next to her didn’t seem too happy about seeing them there, either. Olette gasped when she finally caught sight of the woman’s bright blue hair.

“…Aqua?”

Hayner and Pence immediately let go of Olette, acting as though they were never afraid in the first place. Aqua placed her hands on her hips.

“You shouldn’t be here. This area is off-limits to civilians.”

“Then why are you and Terra here?” Hayner leaned forward, grinning mischievously.

“I mean…I get that you guys are an item, but this place doesn’t seem all that romantic.”

“That’s none of your business. We’re doing our  _job_.” Terra frowned, making the two boys back away slightly.

“Yeesh. Chill out, man…” Hayner mumbled.

“Terra.” Aqua nudged him. “He’s messing with you. Learn to take a joke.”

Terra looked to the side, rubbing his arm awkwardly.

“…Right. I knew that. Sorry. But you three still have to leave.”

“Aww, man…” Pence muttered. “So much for figuring out more about the ghost town…”

“’Ghost town’? Is that what you’re calling this place?” Aqua took a moment to observe the surroundings ahead of them. It seemed desolate enough to fit that description.

“How much do you two know about this place?” Pence’s eyes lit up with intrigue.

Aqua and Terra exchanged a distressed glace.

“We…can’t disclose that information.” Aqua curved her lips.

“In that case, here.”

Pence handed his notebook over to Terra, who opened it up. His eyes widened in mild surprise.

“…How did you get all this?”

“The internet. What, you guys didn’t try that?”

Aqua and Terra laughed awkwardly. 

“It didn’t come to mind. We were too busy looking into our own databases.” Aqua cleared her throat.

“…And forget I told you that. You three should get out of here. It-”

“-isn’t safe. We  _know.”_  Hayner put his hands in his pockets. “We’ll quit making trouble for you. This was Pence’s idea, anyways.”

“Wow. Way to throw me under the bus.” Pence pouted.

Olette sighed loudly and pushed the boys forward. They started walking back to where they came from:  _actual_ civilization.

“Say hi to Roxas and Ventus for us!” Hayner shouted back at the duo.

“And tell them that we hope they get better soon!” Olette added.

Terra hummed as he watched them leave. Aqua looked up at him.

“They still seem as reckless as ever.” He cracked a smile.

Aqua rolled her eyes.

“Of course they are. They’re friends with my brothers. It hasn’t been that long since we’ve seen them.”

“Feels like it. I only met those three one other time. Your brothers…they have lots of other friends. I doubt I’d be able to name them all.”

Aqua rubbed her arms. “…At least  _Ven_  does…it’s hard to say with Roxas.”

“How so?”

“He keeps to himself. Especially after he left the…you know.” 

Terra’s eyes drifted down to the ground, then turned back to her.

“…You doing okay with all of this?”

Aqua nodded quickly.

“Yeah. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Aqua…”

_“Honest.”_  Aqua’s eyebrows turned down a bit. “We have to move. We’ve wasted enough time standing here already.”

Terra watched as he marched past him. He rubbed his eyes, knowing that she wasn’t going to cooperate if she was even the  _slightest_  bit annoyed. It’s not like he  _meant_  to upset her. He just wanted to help.

…With newfound determination he’d scrounged up, Terra chased after her.

_You can’t be difficult forever, Aqua. You’ll have to talk about how you feel sometime._

***

After walking for a few miles in deafening silence, Aqua and Terra stopped in front of a tall, dilapidated building. Somehow, the entire name of the building itself was still legible:

**_SCALA AD CAELUM_ **

**_MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY_ **

was written in big, bold letters. Whatever color the title used to be had disappeared almost entirely, leaving it an unpleasant shade of mustard-gray. Aqua approached the front door. Shattered glass was all over the ground, crunching underneath her black leather boots. Only the top half of the door remained intact, with a few extra words of its own written in a rather inappropriate font of comic sans:

_**We hope to see you soon!** _

Terra tensed up a bit, visibly unnerved by the statement.

“…Why would  _anyone_ want to come back to an  _asylum?”_

“Maybe it was a joke.” Aqua placed her hand on the door. “…It’s not very funny.”

“I agree.”

Aqua pushed the door open. It let out a small, half-hearted  _creeeeak_ as she did so, almost as if were protesting after remaining motionless for so long.

“We check here first, then the mansion at the top of the hill.” Aqua pulled out a sheet of paper from the folder she was carrying. 

“…According to our intel, the owner of that house was was the head doctor at the asylum. The facility itself was infamous for multiple claims of illegal medical practices. Mainly unapproved lobotomies and tests on patients using electroconvulsive therapy. He was reported to be seen entering the mansion a few weeks ago, while the original records of this cold case declared him as…deceased.”

“Interesting.” Terra crossed his arms. “Another discrepancy in our information.”

“I know. That’s why we’re here to set the records straight. If we do find the man responsible for running this asylum….”

“We find more information about the killer.” Terra nodded. “I see what you’re getting at.”

“…But one thing still puzzles me. How did you know to investigate this place?”

“Roxas.” Aqua lowered her head. “That’s how. He’s given us so much invaluable information about the killer…including his name. It’s Vanitas.”

“Vanitas.” Terra repeated. “…Huh. Is it just me, or is that name…”

“Oddly appropriate?” Aqua finished his sentence. “Yeah, I thought so too. We did the full background check on Sora, remember? But while you weren’t around, I dug up some interesting information regarding his parents.”

“That they moved to one of the smaller districts of the city after Sora’s father lost his job, right?”

“Yes.” She nodded in agreement. “Money was tight, so they moved to a quaint little house that was a few blocks away from one of the biggest electrical corporations in the city. That spot of land has been under the eye of real estate agents and yakuza alike. If yakuza were to obtain that land….they’d have control over more than half of the city. They own too much territory as it is, building new establishments one after the other.”

“I know that much. I read that part with you. But I doubt that’s a motive for the killer.”

“On the contrary.” Aqua stared at Terra intently. “If he is Yakuza, it gives him all the more reason to have murdered those innocent civilians.”

Terra tilted his head. She took a deep breath.

“…What if I told you…that when the chief called us in and I suggested that maybe the two DNA samples were of two separate people…that that  _is_ actually the truth?”

Terra’s mouth opened. “Wait…so they’re really…”

“Related by blood. They’re siblings, Terra.  _Twins,_  just like Roxas and Ven.”

“How did you figure it out?”

“It wasn’t easy, but I found some old documents after digging deep enough into the files of Sora’s parents. They had papers to put up a child for adoption. They even gave the infant a name. Guess what name it was.”

_“Vanitas,”_  Terra said breathlessly. “Aqua…you’re  _incredible.”_

“I try.” Aqua shrugged, smiling a little at his compliment. 

“There was only one picture I managed to find of the infant. It was the same date as the papers that were signed. Not much hair to go off of, but the eyes were yellow. Just like the picture Roxas sent us of the killer. Donald’s intuition of Vanitas not being Sora was right on the nose.”

Terra scratched his head.

“…This is a lot to take in.”

“I know. It took a while for me to figure it out myself. This is where a bit of the trail runs cold, though.”

“What do you mean?” Terra inquired.

“I tried to run a background check on Vanitas instead of Sora, since he’s definitely our target. But there’s only bits and pieces of everything. A few documents of repeated orphanage transfers. That’s it. None of them explicitly describe what went on as he was moved from place to place. Except…”

Aqua took out her phone and turned the screen for Terra to see. She placed her finger on the last written line of the document, written in messy cursive. 

“…This one.”

A sinking feeling of dread passed through Terra as he read it.

“…They…transferred him to  _this_  asylum.” he gritted his teeth. “How old was he when they sent him here…?”

“I don’t know. But if he’s the same age as Sora…he must have been very young. The last transfer form was filled out 9 years ago.“

Terra cursed under his breath.

"What the hell did they _do_  to him in this place?”

The two partners raised their heads to take one last look at the asylum from the outside. All they felt was unease. Aqua clenched her hands.

“…That’s what we’re here to find out.”

****

There was a chill in the stagnant air. It reeked of death and despair as Aqua and Terra pressed on inside the asylum, not faltering for even a moment. They shined their flashlights on the the path ahead of them, keeping their hands close to the holsters on their belts. They came across the first room that resembled an office. It was hard to tell with all kinds of items thrown haphazardly on the ground. Broken legs of chairs. Scattered papers, yellow and crinkled from lack of preservation. They looked as though they would crumble into dust if touched. A rusted metal cabinet, with the top half of the door unhinged. Filthy medical supplies inside that were unusable.

Aqua approached the desk at the back of the room, the only thing left that was completely intact. She yanked at the handle to the center drawer, which was a little stuck. It flew open after she pulled hard enough. Aqua coughed as a cloud of dust got in her face.

"You alright?” Terra gave her a worried look.

“I’m fine,” she wheezed, waving the dust away with her hand. “I’m just lucky that I’m not allergic.”

Terra reached down and took out a folder of papers. He was careful to not handle it too roughly as he opened it.

“Patient reports. They’re all in alphabetical order.”

“And each patient is addressed with a single letter…strange.” Aqua blew off some the the dust and read the first file with Terra.

**DATE: 03/06/1987**

**SUBJECT: A**

**AGE: 33**

**HAIR COLOR: BROWN**

**EYE COLOR: BROWN**

**GENDER: MALE**

_Subject A shows signs of mental recovery. Suicidal tendencies have decreased after administering test drug, as well as decreased symptoms of depression. Continue steady doses as needed. Observe how Subject A responds to external stimuli._

**DATE: 03/08/1987**

_Subject A’s condition has worsened. Attempted suicide by self-strangulation. Subject A will be restrained and more tests will be run to discover what triggered the relapse._

Aqua and Terra exchanged a worried glance.

“…Let’s keep looking.”

Aqua skimmed through the files as Terra turned the pages. Many of the results of each patient were the same: an experimental drug working at first, then going horribly wrong. Pictures of haggard women and men alike, with faces that either expressed fear, anger, or deep sorrow. Two patients had gotten so aggressive that the doctors had chosen to lobotomize them. One died during the process while the other was left as a mindless vegetable. It made Terra sick to his stomach, while Aqua’s lips gradually tightened into a thin line.

“This is awful….they treated these people as less than human. Like… _lab rats.”_  Terra grimaced.

Aqua stopped at the last page. Her eyebrows furrowed.

“…There’s a letter missing. X.”

She gave Terra the folder, unable to look at it anymore without feeling the urge to rip it in half. Terra inspected the contents of the folder one more time.

“…You’re right. It has W, then skips right over to Y. Do you think that the file is just missing…or maybe it’s  _hidden_?”

“Only one way to find out.” Aqua glanced at him. “We have to search the whole office. Leave no stone unturned.”

Terra nodded. “Right.”

They immediately set to work turning the office upside down, digging through every nook and cranny that they could find. Terra went back to the desk after a while. He kneeled down to start rummaging through the the rest of the drawers.

“Anything on your end, Aqua?”

“Not yet.” Aqua’s hand retracted from the medicine cabinet when she nearly stabbed herself with a rusted needle.

“…Hey wait, I found something!”

Aqua rushed over to Terra’s side, getting down her her knees as well. She watched him place his fingers against the inner left side of the desk. He aimed his flashlight at the spot with one hand.

“There’s a faint indentation here. I traced my hand along this spot, and it’s in the shape of a rectangle. That’s not normal. I’m willing to bet if I push it…”

Terra pressed his right hand into the side of the desk. They heard a soft  _click,_  and a secret compartment popped open shortly after. A black folder slid out and fell to the ground.

“Bingo.”

Aqua picked up the folder. It was in much better condition than the other file, which confused her.

“…This seems… _newer.”_

“You don’t think it could be  _his?_ ” Terra eyed the file warily. 

“It’s possible. 9 years isn’t exactly a long time, even if it feels that way. None of the other files seemed to match with his information, either.”

Aqua breathed out sharply, then opened the folder.

“…Let’s hope this gives us more answers.”

**DATE: 02/29/2010**

**SUBJECT: X  
**

**AGE: 12**

**HAIR COLOR: BROWN**

**EYE COLOR: GOLDEN YELLOW**

**GENDER: MALE**

Aqua’s eyes immediately fell to the picture of the patient. The hair and eyes were a dead giveaway. That was their killer.

And yet…he looked so  _different_  compared to the picture Roxas had sent to her. Softer. Calmer. But he also had a haunted look in his eyes, as if he had seen too much at too young of an age.

…It made her feel an twinge of pity for him. She looked at Terra, who gave her a reassuring nod. Aqua spun back around to read the first entry.

—–

_Subject X arrived with little trouble. He is calm and stable. No need for restraints. Albeit nervous from being introduced to a new environment._

_We began with a simple procedure. A Rorschach quiz, to gauge his mental health and capacity. Surprisingly, his answers are what any regular child his age would answer._

_Odd. It’s almost as if there were nothing with Subject X at all. If so, why was he brought here in the first place? It’s not like he’s involved with THOSE people._

_….This data is inconclusive. I must run more examinations._

_——_

“Do you think when he said ‘those people’, he meant the yakuza?” Terra whispered.

“Maybe.” Aqua flipped to the next page.

**DATE: 03/07/2010**

_Subject X has been on very good behavior. Just as before, there are little to no signs of subject having any psychological conditions. We cannot use any of our equipment or medications on a healthy child. It would be immoral, after all._

_—-_

_At least they have SOME sense of right and wrong._ Aqua shook her head in disapproval.

—–

_….However, there is one peculiar thing about the boy. He tends to have nightmares that he wakes up from, screaming and crying. I suppose it may be a side effect from how he was treated in the orphanage._

_He does not speak to me or anyone else unless it is for examinations. He is far too reserved. We will get nowhere with the subject at this rate. All of this has been a waste of time._

_…We must try a different approach. We need him to open up. That way we can truly determine whether he needs to stay, or go back to wherever he came from._

_——_

“Look.” Terra pointed at the next entry. “The handwriting’s changed. My guess is they brought someone else in as their ‘different approach’.”

“Good observation,” Aqua replied. She started reading the third entry. 

**DATE: 03/10/2010**

_My name is Dr. Ava._

_At the Daybreak Town Psychological Institute (or DTPI), I specialize in psychological treatment for families, young children and teens._

_I was called in from the Tokyo branch of the DTPI to diagnose the child they address as “Subject X”. That was their first mistake; not even using the child’s proper name. Anyone would be on edge if one of the most important aspects of their identity was unacknowledged._

_…I will ask the boy for his name tomorrow. It will be difficult to break down the defensive walls he’s built up, but I am very patient._

**DATE: 03/11/2010**

_I finally got the boy to open up a little. He was polite and respectful once I assured him that he wouldn’t get hurt. It troubles me that he thinks that treatment is normal. I’ll have a word with the one in charge here…._

_First things first, though. He shared his name with me, which is ‘Vanitas’._ _When he whispered to me he hated his own name, I told him that having it only proved that he was unique. No one I knew had that name, so it clearly made him special in some way._

_…I think Vanitas smiled for the first time since I’d met him after I said that. It was quick, but it was reassuring._

_Perhaps the other doctors were right. There could be nothing wrong with this boy. At least…on the surface level. I will record our sessions on film so that I can review how he reacts to a variety of stimuli. AND how he responds to questions regarding his past. If all ends well, he may not have to stay here anymore._

_…The question is…where would he go? The location of his birth parents is still a mystery. Dr. Even told me that the orphanage had little to no information when they transferred him here, nor did they care to ever search for it. I doubt they would take him back._

_I’ll have to think of something else._

_—–_

Aqua felt her breathing ease a little. This ‘Ava’ person already seemed more genuine and compassionate from two entries alone. Terra laid his back against the side of the desk.

“Where do you think those tape recordings are?”

“I have no idea.” Aqua bit her lip. “…I’m under the impression we’ll have to go further in.”

“I’ll take a look around, then.” Terra stood up.

“Hold on a second!” Aqua hissed. “We shouldn’t split up! Even if this place isn’t exactly a labyrinth, there could be something dangerous in here that we don’t know about. Or some _one.”_

“You’re being paranoid.” Terra chuckled. “This entire town has been deserted for years. I appreciate you worrying, but I can handle this on my own. I won’t be long, promise.”

“…You’d better keep that promise.” Aqua peeked at him from above the folder, then buried her face back in it.

“Just focus on finding the tape. Don’t poke around in anything that could hurt you.” 

“Yes, Ma’am.” Terra saluted Aqua as a joke, making her snort. Grinning, he picked up his flashlight and exited the office. Aqua turned her attention back to the file.

**DATE: 03/20/2010**

_I’ve discovered something troubling._

_Vanitas may have some sort of psychological disorder. While it’s not as severe a case as others, there are a few signs. He is very quiet, and rarely shows any emotion. Sometimes if things scare him or make him anxious, he won’t stop fidgeting. There is another detail that may be considered a hallucination and a delusion…or simply the behavior of any child._

_I’ll have to check the recording again. And despite their questionable methods…I’ll have to ask the doctors here to run tests on him. But I won’t tell them the exact reason why. They keep plenty of secrets from me._

_If he does have a disorder, one of the best ways to treat it is by interacting with other people. It was caused by isolation. He needs someone to talk to. A friend, willing to listen to whatever he has to say. Anything to coax him out of being a mute._

_…I suppose…I fit that role in some way. If that’s enough, I’ll do everything in my power to help him. No one deserves to be in a place like this._

Aqua gasped when she went to the next page. It was torn and showed signs of fire damage. The ink had melded all the words together, making it an unreadable mess. She found that the rest of the entries were exactly the same.

The last page had been ripped out completely. Aqua squinted her eyes at a single wobbly, scrawled word. It was inside the bottom corner of the folder, written in faded ink:

**_LIES._ **

“What…?” she raised an eyebrow. “What part is the lie…?”

“Aqua!”

She lifted her head just as Terra burst into the room.  He gave her a distressed look.

“You need to see this.”

——

_“…Can you keep a secret?”  
_

_The young woman gazed at the small, scrawny boy sitting across from her. He’d spoken in an urgent yet hushed tone, as if he didn’t want to be heard but did want to speak all at the same time._

_She smiled warmly in understanding._

_“Of course, Vanitas. As I’ve told you many times, everything we talk about during our sessions is between us. No one is allowed to listen in.”  
_

_The boy nodded back, tension in his shoulders easing._

_“…Okay. I’ll tell you, then.”  
_

_He took a short, decisive breath in._

_“I do have friends.”  
_

_The woman’s eyes widened. She clearly hadn’t been expecting him to say that._

_“You do? That’s wonderful!” She lit up. “Were they friends you met in the orphanage?”  
_

_“…Yeah. Well, sort of.”  
_

_“Sort of?”  
_

_He drew his legs closer to his chest, wrapping his arms around them._

_“…I’ve known ‘em for a really long time.”  
_

_“Longer than your time in the orphanage?” She asked.  
_

_“Mmhmm.”  
_

_The woman pursed her lips. She scribbled something down in a notebook she was carrying._

_“Do you…know where they are now?”  
_

_Vanitas nodded again, lying his head on top of his knees._

_“…They’re here.”  
_

_She froze._

_“…Here? As in, one of the patients?”  
_

_“No. Here. In this room. Though they could be outside the room, too.”  
_

_“…I’m afraid I don’t understand.” She set the notebook down on her lap.  
_

_“Could you elaborate, Vanitas?”  
_

_He shut his eyes._

_“…You can’t see them, Ms. Ava. Only I can.”  
_

_She paused for a moment, then cleared her throat to speak._

_“…Could you describe them to me?”  
_

_Vanitas abruptly sat up straight, lowering his legs back to the ground. He pointed at her._

_“There’s one next to you. He kinda looks like a rabbit, but…wrong. There’s some on the roof, some tapping on the door, and some behind me. They all look different, so I can’t really tell you what they are. But they’re my friends.”  
_

_Ava nodded, staring at him with a calm expression. She knew he would appreciate that._

_“Anything else?”  
_

_“I can hear them, too.” Vanitas kicked his feet back and forth as he sat on his plain white bed. “They don’t really talk, but…I can understand them. Some are angry. Some are sad. Some are jealous. Some are scared. One of them feels something I don’t understand. I think it might be hurt…? I don’t know.”  
_

_“I just don’t like it when they all start talking at the same time. It hurts my head. They stop when I tell them to.”_

_“…I see.” She clasped her hands together.  
_

_“Vanitas. I’m going to tell you what I think. Is that alright?”  
_

_He nodded with an unreadable expression. She didn’t know what to make of that. But he deserved to hear the truth._

_“…Is it possible that they’re your imaginary friends…?”  
_

_“NO!” Vanitas shouted. He suddenly shrunk back.  
_

_“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. It’s just….They’re real. I know they are. I can hear them. I’ve touched them before, too.”  
_

_He gave her a pleading look._

_“…You believe me, right?”  
_

_Ava looked down at the ground. She didn’t know how to respond. The only logical explanations were either that he was hallucinating or he made them up. But she didn’t have the heart to tell him that flat-out._

_…She didn’t know if that would break the fragile bond of trust she’d formed with him. If she said the wrong thing, it would be back to square one. And if she couldn’t prove his sanity…there was nothing she could do for him._

_“I…”  
_

The screen turned to static, then went black.

The tape was damaged. It was a miracle that the TV Terra found even worked. Somehow, there was still a bit of electricity running through the run-down building. Terra’s fist was pressed against his mouth, his knuckles white from how hard he was clenching. Aqua looked over at him, noting how stressed he was.

“…Are there any more recordings?” she asked in a cautious tone.

Terra nodded solemnly.

“Yeah.  _Thirteen_  of them. Ten of them don’t work. Believe me, I tried more than once.”

Aqua’s eyebrows creased. She walked over to the TV, took out the first tape, then put in the second one. The TV flickered to life. It was nothing but static for a moment, which worried her. Her muscles relaxed as the recording finally appeared on the screen.

—–

_“…Session isn’t finished. You will leave us alone IMMEDIATELY.”_

_“I’m sorry, Ava. But these were orders from Dr. Ansem himself. We have to take him.”_

_“Then you’re going to tell me EXACTLY what you intend to do with Vanitas.”  
_

_“…I can’t.”  
_

_Ava slammed her hands against a table. The two men that faced her flinched. Vanitas was rolled up into a ball on his bed, squeezing his eyes shut._

_“Damn it, Ira! Why can’t you just TELL me what I need to know??? What sorts of dark secrets are you hiding about this place?!?”  
_

_“It’s against regulation for us to tell you, Ava.” The other man eyed her suspiciously.  
_

_“…Why do you want to know so badly? Is it because you want to report us to the police??? We haven’t done ANYTHING illegal!”  
_

_“Aced. Stop raising your tone,” Ira said cooly. “Getting mad at her will solve nothing. She just wants answers.”  
_

_“Answers which we are NOT authorized to GIVE!” Aced punched the wall. “Even WE don’t know everything! But I will NOT stand idly by as she stands there, pointing fingers at us! She doesn’t work here, so she has no right!”  
_

_“I wasn’t pointing fingers!!!” Ava protested. “I simply want to know what sort of experiments you plan to do on an innocent and HEALTHY child!”  
_

_“My, my. The last thing I would take you for is a **liar,**  Ms. Ava.”  
_

_The three of them turned around. A man wearing a labcoat stepped inside. His cold, calculating green eyes locked onto hers. He smiled and pulled out a tape from the inside of his coat. She gasped._

_“You…you aren’t ALLOWED to-”  
_

_“-Do NOT play dumb with me,” He snarled. “I am fully aware that you’ve been meddling with OUR records, OUR computers, and OUR research. It didn’t take much to make Gula and Invi crack. Despite having been sworn into secrecy, they grew somewhat attached to you as a ‘friend’ and started feeding you bits and pieces of confidential information. UNLIKE them, I am no fool.”_

_Ava gritted her teeth and looked away. Aced shot an accusatory glare at her while Ira remained silent._

_“So, it’s only fair that I check out your little…’pet project’. And what a fascinating revelation it was!” He waved the tape in his hand.  
_

_“Take a look at that boy again. Does he **really** seem like he could be a functioning member of society? From what I’ve seen in your recordings, he is far from it.”_

_“You placed him in solitary confinement!” Ava snapped. “What did you expect?!? He’s at a very delicate moment in his life right now. Forcing him to stay here will do more harm than good. He should be outside, free to make friends and play like a CHILD. Making appointments to see a psychologist maybe, but by his OWN FREE WILL.”  
_

_She grimaced. “There is more to this place. I know that you’re doing something illegal. I could go so far as to say you’re **criminals,** treating people like animals when you SHOULD be helping them. You’re even worse than the  **Yakuza**.”_

_“How DARE-” Aced took a step forward, but Even raised his hand to stop him._

_“…A bold statement, Ms. Ava. And I should commend you.”  
_

_He sneered._

_“You aren’t exactly wrong.”  
_

_Ira and Aced stared at the scientist in disbelief._

_“…What? Dr. Even, what are you implying…?” Ira whispered.  
_

_Aced’s eyes darted from left to right, struggling to process what he’d just heard. He caught sight of the camera on the table. He rushed over to it._

_“YOU SHOULDN’T BE RECORDING THIS!!!”_

_He covered the camera with his hand. There was a shriek just before it shut off._

_——_

Aqua frowned as the TV shut off yet again. 

“…Terra.” She glanced back at him. “I need you to bring me the last ta-”

The sound of metal rolling across the floor cut her off. Aqua felt something gently tap her foot. Her eyes turned down to see what it was.

Her breath caught in her throat.

_“SMOKE BOMB!_ COVER YOUR-”

It exploded before she could finish speaking. Terra called out her name, making her instinctively place her arm over her mouth and roll out of the way. Even so, she could feel herself getting drowsy as the unknown chemical filled her lungs. She fought it off, focusing on getting to her partner. She ended up ramming into his chest. He barely moved a muscle when she did. It was like hitting a smooth, firm boulder.

…The smoke must’ve been messing with her head. She pushed away the thought.

“Aqua!  _Are you okay?!?”_

She waved her hand dismissively, fighting off the need to cough.

“The tape,” she said with some difficulty. “Where is it?”

Terra scanned the area around them. The smoke was making it nearly impossible to see, and he was starting to feel some of the effects as well. They had to move if they wanted to keep themselves from passing out.

His eyes landed on the last tape, lying on the ground. Just as he reached down to pick it up, a gloved hand snatched the film. Terra bared his teeth as he looked up at a cloaked figure.

_“HEY!”_

The figure ran before he could get a good look at their face. Terra helped Aqua stand up, then they chased after the stranger.

“COME BACK HERE WITH THAT!” Aqua shouted. 

The stranger kept running. Frustrated, Aqua looked around for something to use to slow them down. She wasn’t about to shoot with her gun. There was a chance they had answers.

…But she wasn’t about to take it easy on the stranger for trying to knock her and Terra out.

Aqua saw a metal chair approaching. She grabbed it, lifted it over her head, and threw the chair with all her might. It struck the stranger with deadly accuracy right in the back. They collapsed into a crumpled heap on the filthy floor.

“Hmph.” Aqua dusted her hands, satisfied. Terra marched over to the stranger and lifted them upwards by the back of their coat collar.

_“Who are you?”_  Terra shook the stranger, making them wake up.

“Wait….please…” The deep voice of a man rasped. “I meant you no harm…”

“You threw a  _smoke bomb_ at us.” Aqua crossed her arms. “You’d better have a  _very_  good explanation.”

“You cannot watch that tape. Without context…it can be misinterpreted. You are both working for the FBI, correct? You deserve the _entire_ truth.”

Terra’s furious expression shifted into one of confusion. He slowly let the man go.

“…I won’t ask again. Who are you?”

The man took off his hat. Terra and Aqua gawked at him in astonishment. His face was completely covered in bandages, aside from his mouth and a single, dark gold eye.

“…I…was the head neurologist in charge of this facility. I am  _Ansem.”_

****

Aqua and Terra suddenly found themselves facing the mansion. The one other place they hadn’t checked yet. The man addressing himself as ‘Ansem’ pulled out a set of keys from his pocket. As they waited, Terra noticed the door knocker that was in the shape of a goat’s head. It seemed to glare right back at him with its furnished sapphire eyes. 

He shuddered, turning his attention elsewhere. For some reason, it gave him a bad feeling.

Ansem unlocked the front door and went inside. He opened it a little more and stood to the side.

“You may come in.”

Aqua and Terra complied wordlessly, inspecting the house once the door closed. It was large and spacious, with picture frames and paintings adorning the walls. Cobwebs hung on the corners of the roof. White, marble statue heads were covered in dust. It was obvious that no one had bothered cleaning the mansion up in quite a while. With only one person living in it, however, it was understandable.

“The living room is this way. I could make tea, if you’d both like some.” Ansem speed-walked down the hall with Aqua and Terra in pursuit.

Aqua cleared her throat. “Mr. Ansem-”

“-Please, call me _‘Diz’,”_  he interjected. “That is the name I’ve chosen to go by now.”

“…Right. ‘Diz’, then.” Aqua quirked her eyebrow. 

“How did you know that we were FBI?”

“Your badges.” Diz shrugged. “…And I suppose the way you carried yourselves as well. Strict and fierce, but not fierce enough to be considered criminals.”

“…Hmm.”

Aqua said nothing else as they continued to follow Diz. They eventually stopped in a new room that vaguely resembled a living room. It was much more fancy than what Aqua and Terra were accustomed to. There was even a fireplace in the center.

“Nice place.” Terra placed his hands on his sides, taking it all in. “Must have cost a fortune.”

Diz chortled. “…With a profession like mine, money was not hard to come by. Ah, and my offer for tea still stands.”

“We’d like some.” Terra bowed respectfully. “Thank you for your hospitality. When you’re finished, however, we do have a few important questions for you.”

“Of course.” Diz nodded. “There are many pressing matters that we must discuss. I will do my best to answer any of your queries.”

“…Feel free to sit wherever you like. I’ll be right back.”

Aqua and Terra watched as Diz left. They were now all alone, in a living room that would echo at slightest movement. It wouldn’t be a surprise if their thoughts were loud enough to be heard as well.

“…Terra.”

He looked over at Aqua, whose face was set in a vexed expression. Terra sighed.

“You’re gonna get permanent wrinkles if you keep frowning like that all the time. What is it?”

“I don’t like this.” Aqua hugged her arms. “This was too easy.”

“Diz seems willing to help us, though. He even offered us tea.”

“Tea that could be _poisoned.._.” Aqua muttered. “Did you  _forget_ that he tried to knock us out?”

“I can’t justify that just yet.” Terra closed his eyes. “But we need all the information we can get. Right now, this guy is our best bet.”

“I don’t know…”

“Hey.” Terra walked over to Aqua and placed his hand on her shoulder.

“It’ll be okay, as long as we stick together. You shouldn’t let your guard down, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ease up a bit.”

Aqua gave him a brief nod.

“…Fine. I’ll take your word for it. But I still don’t trust that man.”

“Neither do I. That doesn’t mean we can’t at least give him the benefit of the doubt.”

Aqua hummed, turning her head to the fireplace. The flames danced in her eyes as she got lost in her own thoughts. Terra shuffled his feet nervously.

“…Aqua?”

“Mmm?”

“…What Hayner said…when we were back at the entrance…it got me thinking.”

Her attention went straight back to Terra.

“About what?”

“About…well…” He rubbed his head.

“…We’ve been best friends for  _years_ , Aqua. We’ve known each other ever since we were kids. We stuck up for each other all the time, and we still do. I wouldn’t trade that for the world. But…have you ever thought about…I don’t know…maybe… _you_  know…”

Terra groaned, placing a hand on his face,

“I’m really bad at this.”

Aqua’s cheeks turned a faint shade of pink.

“Oh.  _Oh._  Um. Well…” she started to sweat a little.

“Terra, I-”

“Am I…interrupting something?”

Aqua’s body went stiff as Diz entered the room. She went back to her usual stony expression.

“…No. Not at all.”

Terra stared with an indecipherable look in his eyes. He spun around to face Diz shortly after, who gave them their cups of tea.

“Thank you.” Terra blew softly at the contents of his cup, while Aqua sat down on the couch and set her tea down on a small, round table.

“Alright.” Terra placed his teacup next to Aqua’s, watching Diz intently.

“…Tell us  _everything_  you know.”

Diz sat down in a tall, scarlet armchair. He pressed his fingers together and looked off into the distance. His eye grew slightly foggy as he relived an old yet traumatizing memory.

“…I still remember that day with flawless clarity. Nine years ago…I had made the greatest mistake of my life. Although, you could say the entirety of my career was a mistake to begin with. After all…I  _chose_  to join the yakuza.”

Aqua and Terra sat up straight. 

_“You’re yakuza?!?”_  Aqua exclaimed.

“I  _was,_  indirectly.” Diz lowered his head. “They gave me additional funding for my research on the mind. In return, I would experiment on whatever poor fool they handed over to me as punishment for crossing their clan.”

_“Which_  clan?” Terra said curtly.

“…The Kuroihebi Clan. It’s the largest group in Kamurocho as of today.”

“You’re being surprisingly honest, _despite_  throwing gas at us.” Aqua narrowed her eyes. “What’s your angle?”

“There are no angles.” Diz made direct eye contact with Aqua. “I’m being entirely transparent with you both. I threw that gas on  _purpose_ so you two would chase me down. It gave you more incentive.”

“In that case…why risk it? Why risk the wrath of the yakuza that could come after you at any given moment?”

Diz sighed wearily. The creases that formed on the visible portion of his face made him appear as though he’d aged an extra ten years.

“…Because I am _tired,_ young lady. Of all of this. I cut ties with the clan immediately after that  _horrific_  disaster. But even so, they continue to watch me from afar. Waiting for an opportunity to eliminate me, simply because I know too much and could reveal many of their secrets.”

He chuckled bitterly.

“So, I said to myself…‘to hell with it’. If I am going to die, I would prefer  _not_  to prolong the inevitable. At least I will go out knowing that I’ve managed to sabotage their efforts of controlling this city a  _little.”_

Diz closed his eyes.

“…Now, I suspect you have some more questions regarding my last test subject. The boy named ‘Vanitas’.”

Aqua and Terra exchanged a glance, nodding at each other. Terra leaned forward in his seat.

“What happened to him?”

Diz met their gaze. He shifted in his chair, showing signs of discomfort.

“…I should warn you. What you are about to hear is not for the faint of heart. But after seeing how much you’ve withstood thus far with little trouble…I am sure you can both handle it.”

He shook his head.

“This will not be easy to talk about. But I must. It all began on the day Dr. Ava revealed herself to be investigating us by her own accord, as well as two undercover detectives…”

****

_“We have to go after them.”_

_A young man with silver, curly hair in a male nurse’s outfit looked at his partner. She was also in disguise, poking her head past the corner to the main hall. They were dragging Dr. Ava away, as well as the little boy they constantly made a fuss about. The doctor remained silent while the child wouldn’t stop trying to wriggle his way out of the guards’ grip._

_“We’ve managed to keep our true identities under the radar. They barely even acknowledge us. If we blow our cover now, there’s no going back.”_

_The woman’s hazel eyes fell back to her partner._

_“Ephemer….are you ready for this?”_

_He nodded firmly. His mind was set. He couldn’t stand seeing any more people get hurt in this place. No more._

_“Yeah. I’m ready.” Ephemer tiptoed closer to her, giving her a brief nod._

_“Let’s go, Skuld.”_

****

_Ava bit back a scathing retort as they shoved her into a white room. Her hands were tied to her back with the same cloth they used for patients in straight jackets. Aced glared at her icily._

_“We’ll be back for you later, **traitor.**  Enjoy your stay.”_

_Aced spun around and stormed out of the room. The boy peeked inside, still being restrained by Ira._

_“P-please, don’t let them take me…! I’ve seen what they do, don’t-mmph!”_

_**“Quiet,”**  Ira hissed, covering the boy’s mouth. “You will NOT be seeing her again.”_

_Vanitas choked back a sob as they took him away. Ava’s heart twisted from seeing the pain in his eyes. Aced slammed the door shut, locking it behind him._

_Ava got up from the ground and sprinted towards the door. She struggled to untie herself, but the knot was too tight. Feeling utterly useless, she pressed her cheek against the exit and slid down into a crouch._

_“….What am I supposed to do now…?”_

_BANG._

_Ava scrambled away from the door. Someone was kicking it. She began sweating nervously as they kept on kicking as hard as possible._

_After a few minutes, the kicking stopped. Ava’s heart still beat rapidly in her chest._

_“…Maybe…they gave up?”_

_A large office chair smashed through the one-way mirror. Ava screamed, falling back down and ducking her head as some of the glass shards flew in her direction. She breathed in and out shakily as she heard footsteps getting closer._

_“Honestly. You could have been a LITTLE more subtle.”  
_

_“Can’t really do subtlety right now, partner.”_

_Wait. She KNEW those two voices. Ava gasped as someone kneeled behind her and cut the cloth restraining her with a pocketknife. She raised her head just as a hand extended towards her._

_The young man grinned brightly._

_“Need some help?”  
_

_Ava accepted the friendly gesture and grabbed his hand. She squinted her eyes at him for a moment, then at the girl next to him. Her jaw suddenly dropped open._

_“I KNOW you two!” she pointed at them. “Ephemer and Skuld, right? You started working here at about the same time I came.”  
_

_“You’re a lot more perceptive than you look.” Skuld grinned.  
_

_“I’ve had practice. I’m a psychologist, remember? It’s kind my job to be observant.”  
_

_“I like her already.” Ephemer crossed his arms, shooting another brilliant smile at Ava._

_“We’ve come to take these guys down!” he raised his fist. “And help all of the captive patients escape, too.”  
_

_Skuld agreed with a small nod. “Good to know the little intel we had was right on the mark.”  
_

_“…Who ARE you, really?” Ava said quizzically.  
_

_“We’ll tell you along the way.” Skuld grabbed Ava’s hand. “Right now, we need to move. The alarm’s going to go off at any minute, meaning the guards will be right on our tail.”  
_

_The three of them flinched as a loud noise started blaring. Red warning lights flashed inside the room and down the hall. The was the faintest sound of more footsteps approaching and angry voices._

_“That’s our cue!” Ephemer pushed the girls gently forward. “We’d…better start running.”  
_

_Ava, Ephemer and Skuld hopped over the broken mirror, careful to not accidentally cut themselves. Ava yelped as she was suddenly yanked forward, but quickly adjusted and caught up with her two saviors._

_“Again, who are you?”  
_

_“Detectives Skuld and Ephemer, DTPD.” Skuld quickly showed Ava her badge, nestled securely underneath her oversized scrub shirt._

_“…This just happens to be our very first assignment with that title. But don’t worry! We’re definitely experienced.”  
_

_“That’s reassuring…” Ava smiled anxiously._

_It quickly faded when she reminded herself of the boy. Her patient, unjustly imprisoned in a room he couldn’t escape from. Terrified and alone with those awful scientists. She couldn’t imagine what they were planning on doing to him.  
_

_“Wait.” Ava slowed down a bit, making Ephemer and Skuld turn around.  
_

_“Please, we have to go and find Vanitas first. The boy I was working with. He doesn’t belong here. They’re going to run their usual procedures on him either way. I don’t know exactly what they do, but…I swear I’ve heard the screams as I’ve left this building before. It’s nothing good. We have to stop them.”  
_

_The two partners looked at each other for moment, then nodded. Ephemer placed his hand on Ava’s shoulder._

_“Alright. Do you have any idea where he_ _might be right now?”_

_Ava placed a hand on her chin, thinking._

_“I’ve seen them go to the operating room at the basement level of the asylum a few times. Mainly Dr. Even and Ansem. I…rarely saw the patients they took down there come back out.”_

_“…Oh god. He’s just a boy…” she covered her mouth, feeling pinpricks of tears form at the corners of her eyes.  
_

_“…What if he’s **dead?”**  
_

_Ephemer squeezed her shoulder. “Stay calm. He’ll be fine. Not much time has passed since they’ve taken him.”_

_“R…right.” she wiped her tears away with her arm.  
_

_“We just have to hurry. Can you lead us there?”_

_“Of course.” Ava cleared her throat, composing herself. “Follow me.”  
_

_****_

_Remember. You are doing this for **his**  sake._

The elderly doctor wiped his brow, facing the door to that accursed operating room. Aced and Ira, who stood on either side of the door as lookouts, eyed him with puzzled expressions. He desperately wished that he didn’t have to go in.

He no longer had a say in the matter, unfortunately. He was in too deep. If he refused, the Yakuza crawling around in disguises would catch wind of his betrayal. They would rat him out to their boss, and his son’s life would be forfeit.

…But…could he  _really_ look his son in eyes, knowing that he tortured another boy around the same age? It was more than he could bear. He couldn’t understand why the boss would want him to  _do_  such a thing. The mild psychological trauma this child had endured in the orphanage? He could heal from that. But  _this?_  Subjecting him to experimental drugs and surgical procedures that were only authorized for the most wildly unstable patients? It was unheard of. Barbaric. This was a _child._ There was a very high chance he would not survive.

…Steeling himself, Ansem grabbed the door handle and entered.

Even was already inside, furiously jotting down some notes on a clipboard. He paused momentarily, then kept writing. He knew by now that that was Even’s way of acknowledging his presence when he was too engrossed in his work to speak. He was probably trying to ignore the elephant in the room as well.

…The boy…he looked even worse than the first time he saw him. His face was deathly pale, and his hands wouldn’t stop shaking. He was seated in the chair that doubled as an operating table, with the restraints on his wrists and ankles greatly limiting his movement. The boy sunk further into the chair when Ansem made eye contact with him. 

“…Young man. I don’t believe I ever caught your name.”

The boy averted his eyes, remaining silent. Even slapped his pencil against the desk he was sitting at.

“He asked you a  _question,_ boy. Don’t be rude. Or are you too _stupid_ to answer a question as simple as  _that?”_

The boy mumbled something, too quiet for either of them to catch. Ansem quirked his eyebrow, while Even groaned and shot up from his chair.

“Speak  _up.”_ Even tapped his foot impatiently. “He is stalling for your sake. Unless you would like for us to start  _right now.”_

The boy turned his eyes back to them. They betrayed no emotion whatsoever, despite his clenched hands possibly indicating anger.

“I  _hate_ you.”

Ansem breathed in deeply, shutting his eyes. The boy’s unwillingness to share was understandable. Both he and Even already knew that his name was Vanitas, after all. He really was just stalling.

“…I am deeply sorry that you feel that way. And as much as I would like to set you free…I cannot. All I can do now is offer you some advice. Whether you listen to it or not is entirely up to you.”

Ansem crouched down a bit to look at Vanitas more closely.

“If you continue to carry that hatred in your heart…it may be the last thing you ever feel. I would recommend thinking of something happy before we begin.”

The boy lowered his head.

“…If I make it out of here… _you’re gonna regret it.”  
_

Even smacked Vanitas across the face.

_“Silence_ , you insolent whelp. It suits you better.”

_“Even.”_ Ansem shook his head in disapproval. “That’s enough. Leave him be.”

Even scowled. He sat back down in the chair, crossing his legs.

_“You_  start the procedure, then. All of our test drugs are on the table next to you.”

Ansem said nothing as he pressed a button on the side of the chair, making the top half gradually slide down until it was completely flat. Vanitas looked at doctor fearfully as he put on a face mask, then picked up one of the vials. He used a needle to extract some of the potentially dangerous liquid. His hard gaze softened when he noticed Vanitas staring at him. 

He approached, lowering the needle to the boy’s arm. He fought back the urge to throw up.

“…Close your eyes. It will make things easier for you.”

Much to his surprise, Vanitas complied. Ansem steadied his trembling hand.

_It…will be over soon._

_*****_

_“GET DOWN!!!”_

_Ephemer kicked a table down and pulled Ava to the ground. She covered her ears as guns went off, leaving holes in the table. Skuld had thrust herself behind an open door, occasionally poking her head out and firing back at the enemy._

_“Where did they get those weapons??? Why are they attacking us?!?”_

_Ephemer shook his head._

_“They don’t actually work here, Ava. They’re Yakuza. You can see some of them with snake tattoos on their hands. It’s the symbol of the Kuroihebi clan.”_

_Ava winced. “How far does this go…?”_

_Skuld cried out as a bullet struck her in the arm._

“SKULD!!!” Ephemer exclaimed.

_“I’m fine! Don’t worry about me!” she shouted, clutching her wound. “We have to get out of here!”_

_Ava searched with her eyes for something, ANYTHING that could deter the people shooting at them. She looked up at the lights on yhe roof._

_“…Of course…!” Ava tapped Ephemer’s shoulder._

_“The lights!” she said in a hushed tone. “Shoot them! They won’t be able to see anything!”_

_“Neither will WE!” he objected._

_“Not true.” Ava motioned with her head towards the elevator. It was a few feet away from where they were pinned._

_“That will take us to the basement level. Just hold onto me along with Skuld, and I’ll take you there. I’ve been here enough times to know where I’m going, even in total darkness.”_

_Ephemer glanced over at Skuld, who shrugged._

_“It’s worth a shot.” Skuld looked at Ava, giving her a firm nod._

_“….Okay, I guess we’re doing it. I’m trusting you.” Ephemer sighed, then raised up his arm. His finger poked slightly above the table that was shielding them._

_“Let’s hope I don’t regret this.”_

_Ephemer pulled the trigger, and the first light exploded. Skuld joined in shortly after. Together, they fired until the hall was left in a pitch black state. The Yakuza shouted a few commands and protests at each other, clearly disoriented. Ava saw her chance, and gripped Ephemer’s arm tightly. She ran towards the elevator, locking her other arm with Skuld along the way. She skidded to a halt when she realized she was inches away from hitting the elevator with her face. They couldn’t make any louder noises than the Yakuza were._

_Ava placed her hand against to wall, feeling for the button. Once she found it, she slammed his fist into it. A minute later, the elevator opened with a loud ‘ding’._

_The Yakuza abruptly went silent. Ava’s face blanched._

_“…Oh no.”_

_The trio scrambled inside the elevator as bullets started flying in their general direction. Ava frantically reached down and pressed the bottommost button on the control panel. After a grueling 30 seconds of pressing their bodies against the walls of the elevator, it closed. They all let out a unanimous sigh of relief._

_“Is everyone alright?” Ephemer gasped in between breaths._

_“Yes. I’m alright.” Ava looked over at Skuld, who was barely visible in the dim light. She waved her hand dismissively, still applying pressure to her injured arm._

_“…Here, let me help.”_

Ephemer approached her. Skuld let go of her arm. She breathed in sharply as he pulled out his pocketknife and used it to dig out the bullet. It clattered on the ground. He then ripped off a piece of his shirt and tied it around the wounded area.

_“Ow! Not so tight.”_

_“Sorry! I just wanted to make sure I was applying enough pressure. To stop the bleeding.”_

_Skuld smiled faintly._

_“Thanks, Ephemer. And thank YOU, Ava. You really saved our butts back there.” she glanced at the doctor, who was twiddling her fingers.  
_

_“It was nothing.”  
_

_“Don’t be so modest!” Ephemer nudged her. “Without you, we wouldn’t have survived. You’re the most valuable person on this team.”  
_

_“Not to mention our most credible witness. IF we make it out of here.” Skuld sat comfortably on the floor, despite the severity of the situation.  
_

_Ava smiled kindly at them both. She inhaled sharply and copied Skuld, sitting down on the ground. She placed a hand on her side, feeling a bit of warmth._

_…She didn’t have the heart to tell them that one of the bullets was lodged in her stomach._

_****_

Once the elevator reached the bottom floor, Ephemer signaled something to Skuld. She nodded and shot up, pulling her gun out of its holster. Ava observed them in silence.

With another  _ding,_ the doors slid open. Ephemer and Skuld aimed their guns in front of them, their eyes darting from left to right. The corridor was as dark as it was currently upstairs, save for two flickering lights hanging on the roof. It was cold, and the air smelled of metal and toxic chemicals. 

_“Ugh!”_

The two cops looked back at Ava, who wobbled and clutched her side. Skuld’s eyes widened when she saw the blood.

_“Why didn’t you say anything?!?!”_ Skuld rushed over to Ava and helped her walk out of the elevator. Ava shut her eyes.

“I didn’t want to worry either of you. And…it’s better this way.”

“How could you say that???” Ephemer exclaimed, barely keeping his voice under a whisper. “You don’t deserve to _die!”_

“No.” Ava’s voice was unwavering. “I’m part of the problem. You say I’m a credible witness, but the police will still arrest me for being involved.”

“You were trying to help an innocent boy. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“But I never reported anything I saw or heard, did I?” Ava glared at him. “Doing nothing and letting those horrible things happen makes me just as guilty. Instead, I tried to fix things on my own. Look what good  _that_  did. I didn’t even know the people I worked alongside these past few weeks were as corrupt as the criminals everyone fears.”

“And what about  _Vanitas?”_ Ephemer gritted his teeth. “Are you just going to abandon him?!?”

“He deserves better than me. I failed him as a doctor….and as a friend.”

Ephemer opened his mouth to object, but Skuld cut him off by touching his shoulder.

“Let it go. This is what she wants. We have to respect her decision.”

“And besides.” Skuld crossed her arms. “You and I both know that even the police can be swayed. There might be a rat in our own forces that could disprove whatever she tells them. Or kill her before she gets the chance to speak. In here or out there, she’s a sitting duck. We’ll just have to tell the chief everything  _we’ve_  learned.”

Ephemer rubbed his eyes.

“…Ava. is there  _anything_ you want to say to that kid? Anything at all? Before you…”

“I do.” she lowered her head. “And I’ll tell him myself, while I’m still breathing.”

He gave Ava a sad look.

“Okay. I can tell there’s no talking you out of this.”

Ava nodded, smiling with tears in her eyes. She could almost ignore the pain from the relief she felt.

“…Thank you.”

****

Aced was pacing around, anxiety creeping up his back. Ira glanced at him.

“…You seem troubled.”

“What’s taking them so long???” Aced blurted out. “Do I truly have to assume the  _worst???”_

Ira said nothing in response. Aced bared his teeth at him.

_“How can you stand there looking so relaxed?!?!”  
_

“I’m not.” Ira looked down. “I’m just as afraid as you are. I’m keeping quiet to hear what they’re doing in there.”

Aced felt a lump form in his throat.

“…What have you heard…?”

“Nothing good. Scraping metal. Whimpering. A heated argument about something I couldn’t quite make out. And…screaming.”

Aced shook his head vigorously.

“…So what Ava told us, and what Dr. Even insinuated….it was all the  _truth._  And now we’re a  _part_  of it. I was a fool and didn’t believe it, even when when it was right in front of my  _face._ ” Aced spat on the ground.

_“I hate this.”_

Ira nodded in agreement.

“…What do you propose we do?”

Before Aced could answer, he heard a small click. He spun around to see two nurses and a wounded Ava. The nurses had  _guns._

Skuld raised her head indignantly. She pulled out her badge.

“Put your hands behind your backs.”

Ira and Aced quietly did as they were told. 

“Against the wall. _Now.”_

Ira lowered his head in resignation while Aced’s mouth twitched. Once again, they listened to Skuld without question.

“I’ll keep these two busy. Ephemer, go with Ava into that room. Vanitas is most likely in there.”

“Wait, you mustn’t!” Aced glanced back. “It’s not-”

“Did I say you could TALK?” Skuld snapped, cutting him off. Aced closed his mouth, quivering with rage.

“Let’s hurry, Ava.” Ephemer grabbed her free hand, which was cold and clammy. The other was still clinging onto her painful injury.

“R-right.”

Ephemer wrapped his hand around the doorknob. The metal was cool to the touch, as if it rarely received contact with visitors to the basement. He slowly turned the knob until he felt it was safe enough, then pushed open the door.

…What they saw next was permanently scarred into their minds.

Thin, plastic tubes were scattered all over, the sources being IV’s with unrecognizable liquids in each of them. The chemicals slowly trickled down through the tubes and straight into the veins of the unconscious child. They were all connected to his arms. Ansem was inches away from the boy’s face with a strange metal rod in his hand before he looked up in alarm. Even glared at them with clipboard in hand, outraged by their intrusion.

_“Who do you think you are?!?_  This is a  _RESTRICTED AREA!”_

Ava gulped when Ephemer’s face turned red-hot with fury. She’d never seen him so  _angry_  before. Without any hesitation, he stormed towards Even and punched him in the face. He then aimed his gun directly at the doctor’s forehead.

“GET ON THE GROUND!!!”

Petrified, Even raised his arms and slowly crouched down to the floor. He bowed his head. Ephemer created a makeshift pair of handcuffs using a strap he found sitting on the table, then tied Even wrists behind his back. Ava ran over to Ansem and grabbed his labcoat.

“…Please, get those things out of him.”

Ansem looked back at her, conflicted.

“I….”

_“Please!”_  Ava squeezed. “He doesn’t deserve this.”

Ansem squeezed his eyes shut. Slowly but surely, he retracted his hand from the boy’s face and carefully started removing the the plastic tubes. 

_“What are you doing?!?!”_  Even shouted. “Ansem, you  _can’t!_ You  _know_  what will happen!”

“The young lady is right, Even.” Ansem continued to remove the tubes. “This boy does  _not_ deserve to be treated this way. As a father, I should know that better than anyone.”

Ava raised her hand over her mouth as a tear slid down the doctor’s cheek. But he did not stop taking the tubes out. Once the boy was free, Ansem backed away as Ava approached and gently shook him.

“Vanitas. _Vanitas!_ Please, wake up!”

She checked for a pulse. It was there, but considerably weakened from nearly overdosing to all of those drugs. It hurt to think about the ramifications on his mind.

“Please open your eyes…” Ava dropped her head.

She heard a faint moan. Ava gasped as the boy’s eyes only opened as tiny slivers. His breathing was shaky and uneven, speeding up a little when he realized where he was. Ava shushed him and placed a hand on his forehead. He was heating up.

“Can you speak? Can you move?”

No answer. He looked completely lost. She was deeply concerned about how much he remembered, but it was clear he couldn’t tell her right now.

“Come on. Let’s get you out of here.”

Ava quickly released him from the straps. Seeing that he wasn’t getting up on his own, she helped him sit up. She bit her lip, noticing how thin and frail his body actually was. Had they not been feeding him enough? For how long? How could she have not paid attention to such an important detail? It made her feel even worse.

Ava and the others watched as he tried to slide off the chair to stand on the ground, despite his legs shaking. He lost his balance, almost falling over before Ava caught him. He clung to her arm as if it was a lifeline. Even so, she could see the determination in his dull eyes.

She felt a small surge of empathy for the boy, and turned her head back to Ansem.

_“What_  did you inject into his body?”

He picked up the clipboard Even had been writing down notes on. Ava skimmed through it, then tossed it back on the table. She covered her eyes with her hand.

“I can’t read anymore of it. You could have KILLED him with half of those chemicals combined. The effects haven’t hit him just yet, but they will. There’s only a slim chance they’ll cancel each other out. Do you have  _any_  idea what you’ve done?!?”

“…It was not my decision.”

“THEN WHO!?!” Ava yelled. “WHO MADE YOU DO THIS?!?”

Ansem shook his head. “…I cannot say.”

Ava closed her hands into fists. She gave him a slight nod in understanding. She placed her hand on the wound, realizing it had stopped bleeding. Maybe she would survive it after all…as long as it wasn’t infected.

“…You’re hurt.”

Ava blinked, looking down to the small voice that was barely above a whisper. Vanitas let go of her arm, staring blankly at the injury.

“You’re gonna die, aren’t you.”

Ava looked to the side.

“I don’t know yet.”

“It’s okay.” Vanitas’s tone was flat. “I didn’t expect any different.”

Ava kneeled down to face him.

“…How are you feeling now?”

Vanitas shrugged. “…I guess…I don’t feel  _anything._ Except a little lightheaded. And hungry.”

Ava forced a tiny smile. Despite feeling terrible both physically and emotionally, she wanted to brighten the dreary mood. She reached out and took his hand. He didn’t react to it.

“…Why don’t we go and get you something to eat, then? Would you like that?”

He gave her an indistinct nod. Ava stood back up and headed for the door, making sure to not walk too fast as Vanitas dragged his feet behind her. Ephemer flashed a quick smile at them, then motioned with his gun at the two doctors.

“You’re coming with us. You have a LOT to answer for.”

Ansem and Even complied, walking a bit past Ephemer. He kept his gun raised  in case they tried anything funny. Ava opened the door…

…And found herself face to face with a Yakuza.

“Hey there.” The man with a long, black ponytail laid his hand against the doorframe. A sinister grin formed on his mouth.

“Sorry to barge in like this, but I’m afraid I have some business with _that_ guy behind you.” He pointed at Ansem. 

“I’d suggest you tell your little cop friend back there to lower his weapon. We wouldn’t want things to get… _unpleasant.”_

Ava and the others looked past the man. Ephemer paled at the sight of Skuld, restrained by a clan member with a bruised cheek. He placed his hand on the trigger, but immediately hesitated when another Yakuza planted a gun against her head.

“Easy there, tiger. Unless you  _want_ us to blow the girly’s brains out. Matter of fact, why don’t you just toss your gun over here?”

Ephemer met the man’s eyes with a challenging glare. They stared at each other in silence for a few minutes, until Ephemer set his gun down and kicked it towards him. It slid across the floor until the man caught it with his foot.

“Good. You’re smarter than you look. Name’s Xigbar, by the way.”

“What do you want with Dr. Ansem?” Ephemer asked.

“How stupid do you think I am?” Xigbar rolled his eyes. “You really think I just give that sort of information out all willy nilly? I’d be the laughingstock of the whole clan.”

“…No, I’d much rather be _feared._ ” Xigbar sneered. His eyes drifted over to the boy.

“See? That kid’s got the right idea. Not even a man yet, but still making that scary face. _Sends chills down my spine.”_  his voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Vanitas scowled. _“Shut up.”_

Xigbar burst into laughter. The other yakuza joined him.

“We’ve got another live one here, boys! Trying to play the ‘tough guy’! Wanna see what we do to morons like you?”

The clan members dragged two lifeless bodies into the light. Ava stifled a scream, taking a step back.

“Aced….Ira….” Ava stared at the man in horror. _“How could you?!?”_

“Easy. I just pulled the trigger.” Xigbar waved his gun.

“…Which reminds me.”

Ava had no time to react as a bullet went straight through her chest. Vanitas watched in silent terror as she let go of his hand and collapsed.

_“AVA!!!”_  Ephemer shoved his way past Ansem and Even. He fell to his knees and lifted her up. She coughed and wheezed, spewing out a bit of blood from her mouth. Vanitas joined him, gripping Ava’s shirt tightly.

“Can’t have her ratting us out. Too bad. She had a pretty face. Sadly, my boss told me we couldn’t let any of you live. Aside from the good doctors over there…and the kid.”

“…Man, I’m _beat!”_  Xigbar yawned, stretching his arms. “This day just can’t end quick enough.”

Vanitas’s arms shook as he gazed at Ava. She could barely keep her eyes open. The yakuza dragged Ephemer away from them, who yelled angrily and thrashed about. They knocked him out using the hilt of a gun.

“…Vanitas….” 

The boy’s lips quivered. Ava smiled at him as much as she could. She was fighting to stay awake for a little while longer.

“…I….I wanted to tell you…that I’m sorry.” tears filled her eyes.

“….I’m sorry for not seeing sooner how much you were hurting. I’m sorry for not being stronger. I wasn’t….a very good friend to you.”

Vanitas shook his head, sniffing. She knew that meant he never blamed her. She felt at peace with that.

“…I suppose…we can’t go and get you any lunch now. Can you…forgive me?”

He nodded, then buried his face into her shirt. He didn’t care that it was all bloody. Ava placed her hand on his head. She closed her eyes.

“Don’t cry. It’s….okay. Just….try….to be….strong……”

Ava’s hand fell, and her body went limp. Skuld turned her head away while Vanitas sobbed quietly. Xigbar rolled his eyes.

“It’s nothing personal, kiddo. This is just business.”

He pulled out a Beretta 92 from his holster. Skuld glanced at Ephemer, who was still knocked out. She held her breath and closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

"Boss!”

He lowered his weapon. Skuld started breathing again. They were both alive…at least for now.

"What is it?” Xigbar gave the clan member who’d spoken up an irritated look.

“The kid made a run for it. He went back into that operating room.”

_“Then go after him.”_  Xigbar’ eyebrows furrowed. “We’re heading upstairs with the cops and the docs. Take two guys with you while you’re at it. He might put up a fight.”

“He’s like.. _.ten years old,_  boss.”

“Yeah, and they drugged him with some psychoactive junk. Kid or not, you _never_ take any chances. That’s like,  _Yakuza 101._  Get going already.”

“…Right.”

The nameless yakuza headed inside the room with two others. Xigbar shook his head.

_…Useless, all of ‘em._

***

The yakuza spread out across the room to search for Vanitas. It seemed that he’d hidden himself very well, despite the room being so small.

One of the clan members caught sight of something. A small figure huddled in the corner between two cabinets. He recognized the blood-stained hospital gown the boy had been wearing over his plain, raggedy shirt and pants.

_“There you are.”_

The yakuza snuck over to the small frame of the child. Once he was inches away, he lunged forward and spun it around.

…It was just the chair wearing the gown. No boy in sight.

“…What th-”

Something leaped at him from the shadows. The man was rendered speechless as a metal rod was driven into his throat. He fell to the ground and died in a matter of mintues. Vanitas didn’t bother to wipe the blood off his hands as he quietly stole the man’s glock. He was starting to get used to it.

He crawled across the floor closest to the wall, knowing full well that they couldn’t see him in the shadowy corners of the room. But _he_ could see _them._  He could see them  _perfectly._  He was safe in the darkness.

… _They_  weren’t. And he wanted  ** _revenge._**

“Holy  _shit!”_  he heard one of the yakuza hiss, knocking something over in the process. Good. They found the body.  _They were next._

“Come out, you little  _freak!”_  The second yakuza member cocked his shotgun. “And  _maybe_  I’ll consider not blasting your brains all over the wall!”

Vanitas smirked. He knew that was an empty threat. He knew they wanted him for some reason. Oh, they were going to  _get_  him, alright. But not in the way they were expecting.

The man carrying the shotgun creeped around the room. Vanitas followed, inching his way closer and closer. He’d never used a gun before, but he saw them shoot enough times to get the general idea. Place finger on trigger and press. Be careful with the force of the shot when it pulled back. Easy enough.

The man stopped for a second. This was his chance. The other clan member shouted something, but was too late. The man holding the shotgun didn’t move fast enough, and Vanitas fired. It struck the man right in the forehead, killing him instantly. The recoil was more powerful than Vanitas had expected, however, as it made him fly back. Mildly disoriented, it took him a moment to realize that the last yakuza member was holding him by the shirt. He tried to take the gun away from Vanitas, but he refused to let go. He had no idea where his strength was coming from; he still felt sick from lack of food and all the drugs pumped into his body.

…Unless…one of the drugs was causing this?

…He had no time to think about it. Vanitas kept wrestling with the man to keep the weapon that was rightfully his now. Letting out a frustrated growl, he managed to place his index finger on the trigger again. He dug it into the man’s chest and shot him once. Then twice. Then three times. He kept going until the gun was empty.

The man dropped lifelessly. Blood was seeping out of him, spreading all over the floor. Vanitas scrambled backwards, hitting the wall. He slid down and clasped his arms around his knobby knees. His head was spinning from what had just happened.

_…I killed them. I actually killed them. That’s…bad._

Vanitas threw the gun across the room. It clanged against something metallic. He didn’t want to check it out. He rubbed his forehead, feeling very hot all of a sudden. He wanted to puke.

_**Is it, though?** _

_…Yeah. It is. I don’t know what I was thinking._  Vanitas buried his face into his legs. He couldn’t stop shaking.

**_…They hurt me, so I hurt them. It’s only fair._ **

_But that doesn’t make it right!_

**_They deserved to PAY!_ **

_“STOP!”_  Vanitas clutched his head. His swirling thoughts went quiet for the time being. He had a feeling they would torment him again soon.

…Even his  _mind_ wasn’t trustworthy anymore. The only safe place was the dark. 

“It’s all  _THEIR_  fault….” he mumbled. “… _They_  did this….”

Vanitas picked himself up off the ground. He yanked the heavy shotgun out of the dead man’s hands and trudged towards the door. He was afraid to find out what laid beyond it. He thought he heard gunshots while he was sneaking around.

…There was a good chance those cops were dead already. If he stopped moving now, he would be paralyzed with fear by just imagining it.

He… _liked_  how he felt when he was shooting those men. He didn’t feel quite as weak and vulnerable as he always did. All that pushed him forward at that moment was pure instinct, and the desire for…something. He wasn’t sure what it was yet.

That tunnel vision was what he needed right now. If he let his emotions get in the way…he’d fall apart.

Vanitas closed his eyes. He took a deep breath.

_All I have to do…is drop everything_

_and_

_let_

_**g o.** _

****

Ephemer coughed as he regained consciousness. The air was hot and dry. He couldn’t see anything past the thick veil of smoke. Where  _was_ he, exactly?

“…Ephemer…?”

_“Skuld?”_  he tried to move, but found that he couldn’t. His arms were tied behind his back with rope. His legs were tied, too. His eyes watered as the smoke got stronger.

“Skuld, what’s going on? Why can’t I see you?”

“Because she’d _behind_ you. Duh.”

Ephemer looked around, but didn’t see anyone. The voice sounded like it was coming from an intercom. It only took him a few seconds to realize that the voice belonged to Xigbar.

“Where are you!?” Ephemer struggled against the ropes to free himself. No luck.

“Fighting won’t do you any good. We’ve locked you two up nice and tight in a quarantine room. And soon enough, things are gonna.. _.heat up_  between you. You’ll really feel the  _sparks_  flying.”

_“…What?”_

Xigbar sighed. “Honestly, you’re all a bunch of sticks in the mud. No sense of humor. All I’m trying to tell you is that your time is  _up.”_

Ephemer looked around frantically, trying to figure out what Xigbar truly meant. He paled at the sight of orange flames beginning to spread across the floor.

“Turns out a lot of the chemicals the doctors use here are pretty flammable. If the fire doesn’t cook you into a crisp, then at least the gas they’ve started pumping in this room will suffocate you. There’s no getting out of this one for you two.”

Ephemer shut his eyes. “ _Why?_??”

“The police can be pretty thorough when it comes to this sort of thing. If they find your bodies, they’ll eventually figure out that it was the Kuroihebi Clan that did this. If they find nothing but  _ash_  on the other hand? They won’t give it a second thought.”

_“You won’t get away with this!”_

“Already did.” Xigbar chuckled. “I can see how scared you look from the other side of the glass. You don’t have to pretend to be brave. So do me a favor and  _die_ already.”

Xigbar shut off the intercom from the other side. Ansem stared at the two detectives with a grave expression. He felt an immense amount of guilt. Even simply kept his back turned away from it altogether.

“Don’t look so bummed out, doc!” Xigbar patted Ansem on the shoulder. “Not like  _you’re_  the one in there. You get a pass.”

“I might as well be.” Ansem lowered his head, placing his hand on the glass.

_“Careful_. I might take you up on that offer.” Xigbar sneered and walked away from the room, heading to the main hall with the rest of the gang.

“…You’re letting it get to you.”

Ansem glanced at Even. He was a far cry from the bright, studious apprentice he had taken on 2 years ago. Now he was cold and distant, almost never batting an eye for patients they were given to “treat”. It didn’t help that his intense curiosity never changed. If anything, it got  _worse_  as time passed. Once again, he was to blame for corrupting an innocent person.

“Even. Do you think there is any hope for us?” He looked up. “Is it possible for men such as us to atone for our sins? To…ask for forgiveness?”

Even opened his mouth to reply, but stopped when they heard shouting down the corridor. 

“…What is going _on_ over there?”

Even stepped out into the hallway. The lights suddenly shut off. All that was visible was the light of the fire inside the quarantine room. Feeling uneasy, he retreated back to the safety of the spot they were in.

He bit back a shriek as a bloody hand grabbed the edge of the wall he was closest to. Even took several steps back as Xigbar stumbled into view, his hand covering one of his eyes. There was blood oozing out of it.

“…That little  _brat_ ….” he gasped in between breaths. “He took out my damn eye.  _I’ll kill him.”_

_“Who did this to you?!?”_ Even said, clearly horrified. “Don’t tell me…it was  _Vanitas?”_

_“Of course it was!”_ Xigbar spat. “Who else than a kid who’s desperate to escape  _and_  has a gun?!?”

He groaned, plopping down on the tile floor. He was more angry than anything, knowing that a mere  _child_ had gotten the drop on him.

Congrats, you crazy old coot. You got exactly what you wanted.

“Even, we need medical supplies.” Ansem turned towards his former assistant, now his equal as a full-fledged doctor. 

“Yakuza or not, we cannot allow him to die. We have to stop the blood and sanitize the wound.”

“I am _not_  going out there.” Even pointed at the dark hallway. “Do you hear all of those guns going off?!? I would die in a matter of _minutes!”_

“Then we’ll just have to make do with what we have in there.” Ansem looked over at the quarantine room. The fire wasn’t too severe yet, and the police were still alive. 

_…Perhaps….those two could…._  Ansem’s eyes lit up as he had an epiphany.

“I’ll get the supplies…and set the detectives free.”

“Oh no you _DON’T!”_  Xigbar pulled out his weapon. His aim was off, but the murderous intent in his single functioning eye was clear.

“Please, just listen.” Ansem raised his hands. “The police are trained to deal with any sort of situation _. Including_ young children who may get violent. They may be exactly what we need to subdue the boy.”

“…They knew Dr. Ava. They can use that to their advantage.”

Xigbar lowered his weapon. He scowled at Ansem.

“Whatever. Just fix my eye when you get back, or  _else.”_

Ansem nodded in agreement. He turned around and pressed a button that unlocked the door, then he rushed inside. He pulled out a small knife, startling Ephemer and Skuld. Their eyes were squeezed shut as he cut the ropes.

Skuld opened one eye.

“You’re….letting us go?”

Ansem took a deep breath.

“…We need your help. It’s the boy.”

Ephemer and Skuld exchanged a knowing glance. They turned back to Ansem and nodded.

“What do you need us to do, exactly?” Ephemer inquired.

Ansem cleared his throat. “First, I was wondering if you could assist me in getting some of the medical supplies in here…before it all burns up.”

The three of them flinched as a wooden cabinet burst into flames. Skuld snatched the medical kit off of it before it became unusable.

“Make it quick.”

They spent the next few minutes grabbing as many supplies as they could carry. Once it became too laborious to breathe properly, they exited the room. Ansem sealed it behind them, but the smoke was beginning to seep out. Soon enough, the rest of the building was going to catch on fire if it wasn’t controlled.

…Hearing the gunshots getting closer, there was no time to find a way to put out the flames. Even took some of the supplies from them and kneeled down to face Xigbar.

“Hold still. I can’t treat the wound if you move around. And I’ll need you to take off your hand to gauge how much should be treated.”

Xigbar grunted. He dropped his arm, making Even gag at the sight.

“That bad, huh?”

Even breathed in sharply, composing himself from the initial shock.

“…I can tell you this. There’s  _no_  saving it. All I can do is wipe off the blood and disinfect the area, then cover it with cloth or a cotton pad.”

Xigbar muttered a few harsh obscenities about his situation and Vanitas. He remained motionless as Even got to work, ignoring the two detectives that were glaring at him.

“Now the child. From what I gather, and if the other yakuza haven’t stopped him…he’s headed right for us.” Ansem turned towards Ephemer and Skuld.

“You must try to calm him down. He’s only attacking people because he’s confused. Most likely a side effect from what we injected into his body…”

He closed his eyes.

“…As of right now, you two are our only hope.”

Skuld placed a hand on her chest, picturing poor Ava on the ground. Ephemer seemed to be thinking of the same thing as he looked down with a somber expression.

“We’ll…do our best. Come on, Ephemer.”

****

The corridor was eerily silent. 

Ephemer and Skuld slowly walked through the hall. The only thing they could hear was their own footsteps. A broken light flickered on and off as they passed by it. Everything else was too dark to see clearly.

The only weapons that they were given to defend themselves were knives. Xigbar had been unwilling to give them their guns back, claiming that “they weren’t trustworthy”.

_Says the guy who tried to burn us ALIVE…_  Ephemer thought.

His legs bumped into something. He cautiously stepped over it, fearing it was a body. Thankfully, he could make out Skuld’s shape from the corner of his eye. At least he wasn’t alone.

…He suddenly heard her scream.

Ephemer tried to make out why by turning towards her. Noticing the vague blob of a hand holding her leg, he kicked in the spot where he imagined the face of the stranger would be. It landed, knocking out whoever it was. Most likely one of the yakuza.

“Thanks…” Skuld pushed back a strand of her long, black hair. “That was  _way_ too close.”

_Click._

Ephemer and Skuld gave each other a fearful look. They knew exactly what what that sound meant. They raised their arms. Beads of sweat formed on Skuld’s forehead as she glanced back.

The flickering lights nearby gave him away. He bore his vacant eyes into Skuld’s, sending a chill down her spine.

“…Vanitas-”

She yelped as the gun went off and a bullet grazed her cheek. Skuld felt a trickle a blood run down the side of her face. It was a warning shot.

Ephemer decided to look back as well, squinting his eyes to get a better idea of what they were dealing with. His insides twisted at the sight of blood staining the boy’s clothes and neck. The boy’s stoic expression contrasted the wild, frenzied gleam in his eyes. He looked just about ready to kill them at any given moment. And yet, as subtle as it was…he could see Vanitas’s arms shaking. 

The kid they were trying to save was _still there_. But he was slipping further away with each second that passed by. If they did nothing at all…

_…No. we can’t let that happen._  Ephemer’s eyes sparked with resolve. 

“Hey.”

Vanitas showed no indication of having heard him. Ephemer breathed in sharply.

“…I get it. You’re hurt and you’re scared, so you want others to feel the same way you do. But you and I both know that you  _don’t_ want to do this. It won’t fix the problem.”

The boy’s mouth twitched. Skuld looked between Vanitas and Ephemer anxiously. Her heart started to beat faster as Ephemer turned around completely and got closer. He raised his hands.

“I’m not going to hurt you. It’s okay.”

Vanitas didn’t move, but gripped the weapon more tightly. Skuld grinded her teeth as Ephemer finally reached the boy, then placed his hand on the barrel of the gun. Vanitas tilted his head, confused by the fact that Ephemer hadn’t chosen to taken the weapon away.

…Instead, he slowly pushed down Vanitas’s arms. His facial features remained impassive, but a single tear fell from his left eye. Ephemer placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“…How  _touching.”_

Ephemer and Skuld glanced back at Xigbar. Ansem and Even were on either side of him, appearing uneasy as he placed his finger on the trigger.

“You know what happens next. You’ve both outlived your usefulness. So if you could just hand over the kid, that’d be  _great.”_

Vanitas took a step forward with murderous intent in his eyes, but Ephemer raised his arm to stop him. He shook his head.

“Don’t. You’re better than that.”

Xigbar snorted. “You’re  _kidding,_  right? He completely wiped the floor with almost all of my men. That blood is on  _his_ hands. You can lie to yourself all you want, but you can’t deny what’s written all over that kid’s face. He _enjoyed_  every minute of it.”

Vanitas lowered his head. A crooked smile gradually formed on his mouth.

“…It’s true. I don’t feel bad about it. I’d do it again if I had to.”

Skuld turned her head away, pressing her fingers against the bridge of her nose. Ephemer winced, then closed his eyes.

“…Fine. Do whatever you want, Xigbar.”

“Wait.”

Ephemer and Skuld looked down in surprise at Vanitas.

“There’s something I need to say.”

Xigbar stared at him with contempt. “…Which would be  _what?_ That you’re  _sorry_?”

“No.”

Vanitas pulled out two small items from one of his pockets: a vial and a lighter.

**_“That you guys should pay more attention.”  
_ **

He threw the vial at Xigbar and the two doctors, then fired at it with the very last bullet. It shattered, and the contents inside flew all over them. Ephemer and Skuld dodged at the last split second when he tossed the lighter.

A blast of fire and heat propelled them a few feet further, and they tumbled across the tiled floor. They heard only one man scream: _Ansem._ The other two had managed to get out of the way in time, but the liquid still lightly burned their skin like acid. They all watched in horror as Ansem stumbled through the hall, the only beacon of light that could illuminate the dark hallway in its own twisted way. Eventually the fire went out on its own, and Ansem collapsed. It was unclear if he was alive or dead, but they all considered it to be the latter. He had stopped moving entirely.

…The whole time, Vanitas had laughed at the elderly man’s agony. He kept laughing even when it was over. Eventually it toned down into soft giggles, then nothing. He glared at the limp body, smiling to the point that his cheeks hurt.

“Told you you’d regret it.”

His smile faded, and he eyed Ephemer and Skuld. They looked back at him with a hint of fear in their eyes.

_“…Leave.”_

Skuld hesitated, not wanting to abandon him like so many others did. Ephemer took her hand and helped her up. He paused for a moment and looked at the boy.

“…Come with us.”

The boy shook his head. His mind was set. He knew he could never fully join them. Not anymore.

Ephemer gave Vanitas an appreciative nod. As much as he hated it, he had to respect the boy’s choice. It was what Skuld and Ava would have done. Without a word, they turned and bolted down the hall towards the exit.

He was alone again. Even and Xigbar had seemingly vanished. They probably ran away.

_Cowards,_  Vanitas thought angrily. He hated them. He hated them all. He wanted them to suffer. He discoved that that desire for revenge and inflicting pain was what he’d wanted all along. It made him feel strong-no.  _Invincible_. Maybe that was what Ava had meant.

…He suddenly felt tears streaming down his cheeks. He felt numb rather than sad. He tried to wipe them away to no avail. They just kept coming, which annoyed him a little.

Vanitas froze. He heard footsteps. He picked up a knife from the ground and flung it in the direction of the sound.

A tall man with a slightly hunched back caught it flawlessly between two of his fingers. He didn’t even flinch. He looked a few years older than Ansem, his tan skin etched with wrinkles from age and experience. His silver-gold eyes met the bright yellow ones of Vanitas. He smirked.

“…Are you lost, boy?”

_“What’s it to you?”_  Vanitas snapped.

“Relax.” he put his arms behind his back. “I mean you no harm.”

Vanitas gave him a dubious look. He didn’t buy that for even a minute. The old man sighed.

“I might as well drop all the pretenses. I know who you are. I have waited patiently until the time was right to meet you…Vanitas.”

The boy narrowed his eyes.

“…What do you want with me?”

“I would like to offer you a proposition. Namely, to see if you would like to work for me. The choice is yours.”

Vanitas raised an eyebrow.

“Work…doing what, exactly?”

“Whatever you like.” The old man grinned. “Of course, you would have to start at the very bottom. With the yakuza, you have to work your way up to the top.”

Vanitas frowned at the very mention of the word. He turned around.

“Forget it. I’m not interested.”

He started walking away in the opposite direction of the old man.

“I can give you  _purpose._ ” The old man raised one hand, wiggling his fingers. “You would no longer have to be afraid of anyone. We can give you the means to strike fear into many. And…you can seek revenge to your heart’s content.”

He stopped walking. Vanitas glanced back slightly.

“…Yes. I see your potential. If you work with me, you can  _take_  more power for yourself.” He clenched his hand into a fist.

“…What do you say?”

Vanitas spun back around. He approached the old man, who extended his hand towards him.

Reluctantly, he gripped the hand and shook it. The old man sneered.

“Good choice.”

****

“…And that was the last thing I heard. When I came to, they were already gone.”

Aqua and Terra remained quiet for a few minutes after hearing his story. Eventually, Aqua stood up and walked over to him. She slapped Ansem without warning.

“He was a  _boy.”_  her voice was shaking with barely restrained fury. “A boy that you  _broke.”_

“I never meant to-”

“-I don’t want to hear your excuses!” she shouted. “You had a choice!”

“Aqua.”

Terra put his hand on her shoulder. She looked back at him, still upset.

“It’s pretty clear that he didn’t have a choice.” Terra turned his attention to Ansem.

“…It was your son, right? That’s what they were holding against you.”

Ansem nodded miserably. “They would have killed him, had I not gone through with such a heinous act.”

“Where is he now?”

“Safe.” Ansem sighed. “…He believes I am dead. But he does not blame me for it. I go to see him every once in a while, but I keep my distance.”

“Why?” Aqua’s eyebrows creased.

“It’s better if everyone thinks I passed away. Even the yakuza believe that. At least if I am a ghost, they will not harm him or force me to do those experiments again….”

Ansem stood up a bit shakily, then stepped over to the large window in the living room. He placed his forearm on it, looking out to the ravaged town. The pale moonlight shone on the rooftops of the empty houses and businesses.

“…I understand your frustration. I truly do. But the one behind all of this in the first place is the man in charge of that clan.”

Ansem closed his other hand into a fist.

“…You’re right. I  _should_  have helped him. Instead, I tortured him.  _Damaged_  him. All because of my own selfishness and curiosity, which the yakuza exploited.” he shut his eyes.

“…I turned an innocent child into a  _monster_. An abomination beyond hope of salvation. No amount of forgiveness or good deeds will ever rectify that. So please…just leave me here, alone. It’s what I deserve.”

Terra and Aqua gave each other a sad look. Feeling a little guilty for hitting him earlier, Aqua approached him. She patted Ansem’s shoulder. Terra joined them shortly after.

“Please, before we go. Can you tell us the name of the clan’s boss?” Aqua looked at him intently.

Ansem nodded.

“His name…is Xe-”

_BANG._

Aqua stared with wide eyes as a bullet went straight through Ansem. The window cracked and fell apart in a few spots. Pieces of glass fell on the ground.

Aqua caught Ansem before he could hit the floor. He wheezed, clutching the spot where his heart was. The bullet had pierced it directly. His eyes turned up to Aqua pleadingly.

“T-tell….tell m-my son….that I’m…sorry….”

His strained expression fell, and his body went slack. Aqua set him down carefully on the ground, staring out the window as she did so. She caught sight of a black blur, running back down the hill and into the town.

“Terra. Call for reinforcements. I’m going after him.”

“No way!” Terra shook his head vigorously. “You can’t go after him on your own! It’s too dangerous!”

“I have my gun and I can fight. You know I never miss a shot.” she pulled her gun out of its holster.

“…And besides, I move faster and quieter than you. If he catches us both by surprise, no one will come to help us. Just like those two detectives.”

“I wonder what happened to them…” Terra rubbed his head.

“We’ll worry about it later. For now, I have to go.”

Terra expression was laced with worry.

_“Please_  be careful.”

Aqua gave him a confident smile. Even though on the inside, her mind and her heart were racing.

“…I always am.”

****

_Crunch._

The sound of small rocks and pebbles amidst the dead silence. Vanitas drew one last breath from his cigarette, watching as it burned up its usefulness. He dropped the butt of the cigarette and squashed it with his shoe, then kept walking. He felt like sightseeing today, so he was going to take his sweet time getting back to HQ. Not like anyone ever had the guts to stop him.

_…Damn. I need another one._  he took out another cigarette and his lucky lighter, which had the emblem of the clan he was a part of.

A snake. He liked snakes. If you got too close for comfort, they’d bite you. Some snake bites did nothing, while others were  _lethal_. Some snakes didn’t bite at all. Those preferred suffocating their prey to death by wrapping their bodies around it. Either way, people knew not to mess with a snake.

As he stopped again to light the tip of his cig, Aqua was peeking at him from behind a building. She made sure to make as little noise as possible, paying attention to all of her surroundings.

She tensed up when she heard a small animal. It sounded like a cat. Vanitas seemed to have heard it as well, putting his lighter back in his pocket and scanning the area.

His eyes dropped to a tiny kitten, stumbling over its own legs as it headed in his direction. From the way it was walking, Aqua suspected that maybe it was blind. When its head turned to sniff around, it confirmed what she thought.

…She suddenly felt afraid for its well-being. What would Vanitas  _do_ to it once it was close enough?

It continued to meow softly yet incessantly, as if it were searching for something. Perhaps for food or its mother. It let out a small squeak as it bumped into Vanitas’s leg. Aqua wanted to scoop it up and run for it, but she also knew that would be a  _terrible_  idea.

Vanitas bent down, reaching for the small creature. Aqua held her breath.

…And almost gasped when Vanitas simply pet its head.

He kneeled down and pet it a little more. The kitten started purring after a while, rubbing against his hand. It kept sniffing until it hit Vanitas’s leg, then started rubbing against that. At some point, it lifted its head and licked the hand that was being nice(?) to it. A hint of a genuine smile formed on his mouth.

Aqua moved back to try and hide more. A twig snapped underneath her boot.

_…Oh no._

Vanitas shot up. The kitten let out a sad mew as he walked away. He was heading in her direction. Aqua gritted her teeth, stepping backwards as much as she could without making another sound. She breathed a bit more easy as she slipped away to the next building.

“…You know, it’s _rude_  to eavesdrop on people.”

Aqua swiveled her body around and jumped back. Somehow, he’d snuck up behind her without her noticing. She didn’t let it faze her for long as her expression turned into one of defiance.

“Funny, I should be saying the same thing about  _you.”_

He chuckled humorlessly. “I thought you looked familiar. _You’re the one who shot me in the shoulder.”_

“You tried to kill my brothers. You kind of had it coming.” Aqua frowned.

“Only because you and your law-abiding buddies forced our clan to confess to that fire, landing some of our members in _jail.”_

“What you yakuza did was  _illegal._ I have to do my job.” Aqua gripped her weapon tightly.

“…If you know what’s good for you, you’ll let me turn you in. This doesn’t have to get ugly.”

“Aww, don’t be like that. That’s the _fun_ part.” he grinned.

Aqua scoffed, getting a little irritated. “…First things first. Why did you shoot Ansem?”

“Oh,  _that.”_  Vanitas spoke in a flat tone. “My finger slipped.  _Sorry._  It tends to do that whenever people start talking about things they shouldn’t. He already looked like a living mummy anyways, so why not finish the job?”

“Enough! _Who do you work for?”_ Aqua aimed her gun at his face.

He smiled, looking between her and the weapon.

“…If I told you that, I’d have to kill you. Which I’m not particularly against under normal circumstances, either. Also, I know  _you_ wouldn’t shoot to kill.”

“Try me.” Aqua tightened her grip on her handgun.

Vanitas sighed.

“…I can already tell that you’re bluffing. I can see the sweat rolling down the the side of your face. Pupils dilated. Breathing faster than normal. Eyebrows raised. Hmm. Actually, it seems like  _more_  than just a bluff.”

He sneered maliciously.

“…You’re  _afraid.”_

Vanitas caught her by surprise and kicked Aqua in the ribs. As she doubled over, he leaned closer.

“It was a mistake for you to come alone. Should’ve brought that tank of a partner with you.”

“…Now if you’ll  _excuse_  me, I’ve got more important things to do rather than humor you.” he walked backwards, waving mockingly at her. 

“I’ll let you go this time. And if  _you_ know what’s good for you, you’ll accept my mercy and won’t follow.”

Vanitas turned around and started jogging down the empty road. Aqua straightened herself out and went after him, ignoring what he’d said. She was going to bring him in, whether he wanted to comply or not.

_“STOP!”_

Aqua sped up a little, and Vanitas seemed to do the same. He glanced back at her for a split second, then ran inside one of the buildings. She went in after him, and he was already going up the stairs. She gawked as he leaped out of a window and across to the roof of a smaller building.

It was clear that chasing him would get her nowhere. She had to try and cut him off. Catch him where he was least expecting it.

Aqua gasped.

_Of course!_

Vanitas continued to run with a cocky grin on his face. He headed into the next building.

_Looks like I lost her. Not that I was worried she’d actually wi-_

Vanitas’s thoughts were cut off as Aqua appeared out of nowhere, tackling him to the ground. She pinned his arms behind his back, twisting his wrist.

His thoughts whirled with several questions. How had she caught him so easily? How had he NOT seen her coming? Although she  _did_ come at him from the shadows of the building-

_Oh._

…She’d figured out his trick. He started laughing a little.

“Not bad at all. Congratulations. You beat me at my own game.”

Aqua glared at him icily.

“Now. Tell me who you work for, and I’ll  _consider_  reducing your sentence.”

“How very  _kind_  of you,” he said sarcastically. “Maybe I should just tell you where I work and what we do while I’m at it.”

“Please don’t make this difficult.” Aqua’s furious gaze softened a little.

“…I know about what happened to you. If I didn’t, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now. I’d drag you straight to prison.”

Vanitas shot her a warning glare. It was clear he wanted her to stop.

She sighed. “Fine. I can see that you don’t want to talk. But you’re still coming with me.”

Aqua pulled out her handcuffs, making sure that he was restrained in the meantime. Vanitas looked up at the hole in the roof. Clouds were directly overhead, making their way towards the moon to cover it. It was getting dark.

…An opportunity to get away. He smiled ominously. Aqua noticed his expression, quirking her eyebrow.

“…You think you’ve got it all figured out, don’t you?”

Aqua said nothing, staring at him suspiciously.

“Well. Sorry to say that you don’t. Not by a long shot.” Vanitas craned his head.

“…The yakuza will always be one step ahead of you.  _And so will I.”_

The room suddenly went dark. Aqua felt Vanitas free one of his arms out from her grip, and elbowed her in the face. Disoriented, she staggered back and felt a trickle of blood run down her nose. When the moonlight returned, he was gone.

_“No!”_  Aqua stood up and ran out of the building. She saw him running towards the bridge at the other side of town. A black river ran underneath it.

When she finally reached it, he was already at the middle of the bridge. Aqua took out her gun, aimed, and fired. Vanitas stopped as it whizzed past his ear.

He turned around.

“…You just don’t know when to  _give up_ , do you?” he pulled out his own handgun, aiming it directly at her face. His expression was dead serious. He wasn’t finding her persistence funny anymore.

It was a standoff. Aqua pursed her lips.

“Stop  _running._  Let me help you!”

“It’s a bit late for that, don’t you think?” Vanitas deadpanned. “Quit wasting my time. Unless you’d  _like_  me to pay your dear brothers a visit at the hospital.”

Aqua turned pale. “…How did you-”

“-Word circulates, idiot. Did you expect us to leave you alone  _completely?_  You didn’t even let me have the satisfaction of finishing my work.”

_“Don’t you DARE lay another finger on them!”_  she spat.

“Oops, did I strike a nerve?” Vanitas chuckled. “Now you know what it  _feels_  like.”

“…Don’t pretend that you know everything about me. Let alone that you actually  _care.”_  Vanitas scoffed. “I should kill you right now for thinking that you even had the  _right.”_

“Hey!!!”

Her throat went dry at the sound of Terra’s voice. He was running towards them at full speed. She heard the familiar wail of police sirens further away.

Vanitas looked between the two cops and grinned. He pointed his gun at Terra.

“On second thought, how about I kill  _him_  instead?”

Aqua tried to shoot to subdue him, but her gun was empty.

_“What?!?”_

“Took them out when we were in that building. Too bad.”

He fired. Time seemed to slow down as Aqua decided on what to do. Neither of them were wearing vests. Terra wasn’t close enough yet to see the bullet coming. He was going to get hit.

_…No. I won’t let this happen again._

Just as Terra saw what was coming, Aqua stood in his path. Terra’s eyes widened as she took a blow to the abdomen.

_“NO!!!”_

He ran faster as Vanitas grabbed Aqua by the back of her shirt collar, then dragged her to the edge of the bridge. By the time he reached them, Vanitas had thrown her off.

Terra roared, landing a punch across Vanitas’s face. He grasped the murderer by the front of his shirt.

Vanitas cackled. “You should see the look on your face! It’s  _priceless.”_

Terra pulled back his arm to punch him again. Vanitas raised his hands.

“Wait just a minute, hotshot. Try and think for a second. Where exactly did you see me shoot her?”

Realization struck Terra. He lowered his arm, then looked over at the side of the bridge.

“I can see it already clicked in your head.  _She’s still alive_. But not for long. She  _is_  plummeting to her death, after all. If the blood she’s lost hasn’t killed her yet, then the shock from hitting ice cold water definitely will. I wonder what you’ll do.”

Terra gritted his teeth, struggling to decide. Vanitas tilted his head with a chilling smile plastered on his face.

“Will you go after her? Or will you stay here to keep me at bay until your reinforcements arrive, letting her  _drown_? The clock is ticking.”

Terra shut his eyes, nostrils flaring. He shoved Vanitas back.

“I knew you couldn’t resist. You’re all so  _painfully_ predictable.”

“…I made a promise. To her, and to myself.” Terra opened his eyes.

“It’s something  _you_  would never understand.”

Vanitas rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure. Good luck with that.”

Terra stepped over the protective railing on the bridge, now rickety and covered in rust. He gazed down into the bottomless abyss. Aqua was getting dangerously close to it.

“Oh, one more thing.”

Terra looked at Vanitas from the corner of his eye.

“…You two had better stop looking for me. Otherwise, this will end in tragedy for  _all_  of you. And yes. That  _is_  a threat.” Vanitas turned around and strolled away.

“Have fun sleeping tonight with that on your conscience. I’ll be watching you.” Vanitas smirked.

_…If you **survive,** that is._

Terra said nothing in response, despite the killer’s words unsettling him. Taking a deep breath, he dove off the edge.

_Aqua. Hold on a little longer. I’m coming._

The wind slapped his face, throwing his hair back. He extended his hand towards Aqua, whose eyes were closed. He couldn’t tell if she was breathing.

…And all too soon, they fell into the river.

****

_…Terra. Terra!_

_“…Huh…?”_

_You’ve got to open your eyes. Aqua **needs**  you!_

Terra blinked. He tried to breathe in, but ended up choking instead. He remembered that he was underwater.

He tensed up, realizing  _why._

_Aqua!!!_

Terra looked down. He managed to see her hand before it sunk deeper into the darkness. He mustered up all his determination and swam as fast as he could, ignoring the pressure popping his ears. He reached out to her yet again as he kicked with his legs. She was so close. He could finally see her face.

_…Just…a little…more…._

…..

…He caught her by the wrist. Terra pulled her up into a hug, then used his left arm and legs to swim back up. His lungs felt like they were going to burst.

By some miracle, he broke the surface. Exhausted, he almost lost his grip on Aqua and sunk back down. The flashing lights of the police cars kept him awake, as well as a few familiar voices calling out to them. He used the last ounce of his strength to reach the shore.

Teeth chattering, he rolled Aqua’s body over so she would be lying on her back. Seeing that she wasn’t breathing, he started doing some chest compressions on her.

“Come on.  _Come on!”_  Terra continued to press against her chest.

“Stay with me….”

****

_Breathe in, breathe out._

That seemed to be the extent of his capabilities right now. Aside from one other thing.

…He could  _hear._

He heard his brother’s anguish every day. Blaming himself for what happened, even though it wasn’t his fault. He wanted to hit him for it. Shake him.  _Tell_  him that it was never his fault. That despite all his mistakes,  _he_  was the braver one. Roxas wasn’t the one who was afraid to die that day.

…They were  _all_ flawed people. There were no exceptions,

He heard so many people come to pay him a visit. Xion, who he had to thank a billion times over for consoling Roxas when he couldn’t. Lea, who genuinely worried about them and cracked jokes to lighten the mood. Isa, who despite his hard demeanor, cared deeply about their well-being. Aqua and Terra, who along with Roxas, were his  _family._ Hayner, Pence, and Olette stopped by a few times.And much to his surprise, Elrena and Strelitzia’s brother _Lauriam_  came by once to thank him for what he did. He had no idea what her brother looked like, but he sounded friendly and sincere. He picked up a trace of sadness in Lauriam’s tone though, which worried him.

He yearned to stand up and talk to them all. Ease their concerns. Assure them that he was still there. But no part of his body that he tried to move ever worked, not even his eyes. All he could do was listen.

He’d never felt so  _helpless_ before. After several weeks passed, he began to lose hope that he would ever move again.

…It was around that time that he heard something  _different_ within his subconscious. A cry for help. He felt an terrible ache in his heart at the same time. It didn’t take him long to realize that it was his _sister._ She was hurting, and he could  _feel_  it. But there was nothing he could do to help. He couldn’t stand it.

So he tried calling out to Terra in his own thoughts and dreams. He knew it would never work. But it wouldn’t stop him from trying.

…And yet…he sensed that it _did_ work. Some of her pain subsided, but it didn’t stop. He didn’t know what else to do…

****

Terra pinched her nose to breathe air into her lungs. Aqua remained motionless. Fighting back the urge to cry, he kept doing chest compressions until he was too tired and sore to continue. He dug his hands into the dirty sand, trembling.

_…Please….don’t go._

His head shot up as Aqua suddenly hacked out water from her lungs. He lifted her up by the head as she groaned. She tried to say his name, but didn’t have the energy left to do it.

“You’re okay. I’m here.” Terra hugged her again as the cops rushed down the ditch to help them.

****

Xion rubbed Roxas’s back as he sat hunched in a hospital, pressing his fingers against his eyes. She glanced over at Ventus’s comatose body one more time. She was sure she’d imagined it, but his eyes had moved a little under the lids a few days ago.

…She stared in disbelief as his eyes actually  _snapped_  open today. She shook Roxas frantically to get his attention, and soon they were both above Ven. A single thought crossed his mind.

_Aqua._


	5. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which more Disney characters come into the spotlight, including the big mouse himself. Sorry about the inevitable cliffhanger, by the way.

“You haven’t lost your touch, old friend.”

Eraqus moved his pawn, taking the bishop Xehanort had placed perfectly within range. He smirked.

“…Seems to me that you’re off your game today. May I ask why? Or will you answer with riddles like you always do?”

Xehanort inspected the board. He moved his knight forward, taking the pawn that Eraqus had used.

“…This world is held together by a silent rule. It cannot be seen, only accepted as truth by society.”

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.” Eraqus took the knight with his queen. “You speak of justice, correct?”

Xehanort pondered his next move. He nodded silently.

“…Why speak of that all of a sudden? It’s not like you. You’ve always preferred chaos.”

“I can respect the concept.” Xehanort shrugged. “…Especially since I’ve underestimated the justice that runs this city.”

“Is that so?” Eraqus looked up at him. “…I do wonder what brought this on.”

“That is a story for another day.” Xehanort waved his hand dismissively. He then used his second knight to take out the queen.

“ _Check.”_ Xehanort smiled.

Eraqus hummed, tapping his finger against the table. He then used a rook to remove the piece threatening his king. Xehanort sighed.

“You never make it easy, do you?”

“That would make the game rather dull. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Xehanort chuckled. “Fair enough.”

They both turned their heads abruptly as the metal double doors opened. The last member of their meeting had finally arrived.

“Sorry I’m late, fellas! There was a bit of traffic.”

Xehanort glanced at Eraqus, then took the pieces off the chess board.

“…We’ll finish this next time. It’s about time you graced us with your presence, Mickey.”

The short mouse sat down in a black armchair. He pressed the handle underneath it so he could be at level with the table.

“So, what’s goin’ on?” Mickey clasped his hands. “Any specific reason why you two called me here?”

“We’ve come to discuss matters of the utmost importance.” Xehanort pulled out a map of the city from his pocket. He pointed at a single empty spot.

“…This plot of land has yet to be claimed. I wanted to make sure that  _I_  would own it, not either of you.”

“And why do you believe you have the right?” Eraqus raised an eyebrow. “The chief of police made it  _abundantly_ clear that you were not allowed to purchase anymore land. You would be arrested right away. So by default, it goes to me or Mickey.”

Xehanort smirked.

“…True. But unlike you two _…I have obtained the deed.”_

_“What?!”_  Mickey shot forward in his seat. “How did  _you_  get your hands on it?!?”

“That’s my little secret. What matters is that that land is  _mine_  now.” Xehanort clenched his hand into a fist.“ I just wanted to let you both know so it wouldn’t come as a surprise.”

“Pretty thoughtful for someone gloating about how much of the city you’re gonna own compared to us.” Mickey crossed his arms. “…The police won’t let ya take it, though. You know that, right?”

Xehanort shook his head. “The deed allows me to have that plot without their interference. I’m technically abiding by the law.”

“As long as you have the signature.”

Xehanort turned towards Eraqus, who placed his hands under his chin.

“The signature of the rightful owners to the land. Despite the fact that you burned down the house that used to be there, that spot  _by law_ belongs to the previous owners. Unless you get their signatures, you cannot own it legally. Need I remind you that they are  _dead_?”

“So it  _was_  you that started that fire!” Mickey frowned at Xehanort.

“Sure, we don’t really follow the rules, but that’s pretty low even by  _our_  standards. There was a  _family_  in that house.”

Xehanort shrugged. “My associates got…carried away with their work. They were punished accordingly. I do realize the flaw in my plans.”

“The family in that house did perish.  _But not all of them._  So it could still work.”

Eraqus gazed at him suspiciously.

“…I’m not going to ask how you know that as well. But I must know. How do you intend to get the signature from the owners? I doubt they would hand it over to you without question.”

Xehanort sneered.

“You forget that I prepare myself for all sorts of contingencies. Sooner or later, I will get ahold of it. Everything is falling into place.”

Eraqus grunted. “Such confidence. Let’s hope that for your sake, you won’t slip up. Otherwise, I’d be more than happy to pick up the pieces you leave behind.”

“Same here.” Mickey cracked his knuckles.

Xehanort laughed haughtily. “We’ll see about that. I’m finished talking now. Is ther. something else you two would like to address?”

“Actually, yes.” Eraqus rose from his chair and trod over to Xehanort.

“… _Keep your lieutenants in check._  I do so with mine, even  _if_  one of them is a hitman. Yours draw too much attention to the yakuza. The last thing we need are the police breathing down  _all_  of our necks for  _their_  reckless actions. I only say this so that when you step down, you’ll have  _reliable_  leaders to fall back on.”

“I understand your concern, but it will be fine.” Xehanort stood up to face Eraqus directly.

“…Or…you could always let your matriarch join my ranks. Your two lieutenants could take over, and they aren’t nearly as volatile as my own.”

_“Out of the question!”_  Eraqus slammed his hands on the desks. “You will  _not_  drag her into your mess of a clan, no matter how powerful it is in comparison to mine. She made her choice.”

“Ah ah.” Xehanort shook his head. “We both know that is a lie. You chose  _for_  her. Now that she is of age, she should be allowed to choose for  _herself_. To stay with your clan or join mine. It’s as simple as that.”

Eraqus rubbed his eyes in frustration. Xehanort quirked his eyebrow.

“At least  _talk_  to her about it.”

_“Fine.”_  Eraqus dropped his hand. “We’ll talk.”

“Mickey, anything you’d like to add?”

The mouse tugged at his collar.

“…There is  _one_  more thing.”

Eraqus and Xehanort turned to Mickey, hearing the mild distress in his tone.

“You two should watch out for for a real estate agency called  _Waruitatsu_. They play kinda dirty like us Yakuza. Purposefully running people and their businesses out of town in order to get more land.”

Mickey looked down at the table.

“….From what I can tell, they’re not that big yet. But they’re dead-set on owning more than even  _you_ , Xehanort. One of my men can vouch for that. Got beat up pretty badly by those guys.”

Eraqus nodded. “We’ll keep that in mind. Thank you for informing us.”

“Well!” Xehanort clapped his hands together. “Now that we’ve got that all sorted out, I really must be going. Good luck to you two.”

He stood up from his chair and exited the room. Eraqus and Mickey followed suit shortly after. The place where they normally held their meetings was disguised as a shut down laundromat. That unassuming visage was enough to keep people away…most of the time.

As they left, however, a pair of what appeared to be normal civilians observed them from across the street. A tall, thin woman wearing a black fedora, a black suit, with a dark purple and green coat wrapped around her. It was long enough that it touched the ground whenever she walked. The massive, plump cat next to her drew in some smoke from the cigar in his mouth, took it out for moment, then tapped it to let the ash scatter on the sidewalk.

“Well now,” the woman purred. “It appears they  _are_  aware of us. But perhaps we should keep out of their business until the time is right. Wouldn’t you agree, Pete?”

“You betcha, Maleficent!” Pete chortled. “As long as we keep our big plans under wraps, they ain’t gonna see us comin’. Soon enough, this city will be ours!”

“ _Silence_ , you blabbering oaf!” she bonked him on the head with her cane. “If you continue to yell about it at the top of your lungs, we cannot exactly keep our intentions a secret. If we are going to do this, we will do it  _correctly.”_

Her dark lips curled into a sneer.

“…We must be patient. Sooner or later, an unsuspecting yakuza may come across us during a desperate situation. It’s clear that each of the clans are experiencing a rising dilemma with the police….and each other. That moment shall be our opportunity to  _strike_.”

****

Sora waved and greeted his fellow clan members as he passed by them, heading towards Kairi’s office. As he walked, Riku joined him.

“How was the collection job?” Riku asked. “Did they make it easy for you?”

Sora pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket. Riku whistled.

“…Guess they knew you were serious. Nice work.”

Sora smiled cheerfully at Riku. “Thanks! I do my best.”

They both stopped walking at the sound of a high-pitched scream. They looked at each other.

_“Kairi!”_

Sora and Riku ran down the hall and burst into the room. Their eyes widened at the sight of Kairi on her knees. Her left hand was on top of the desk, a few inches away from a cardboard box. She was using her other hand to cover her mouth.

Sora rushed to her side, kneeling down and placing his hand on her back.

“What’s wrong?  _What happened?!?”_

Kairi pointed at the box, her hand shaking. Riku walked over to it and peered inside. He immediately reeled back with a repulsed expression.

“Not good.”

“What is it?!?” Sora stared at his friend in confusion.

“It’s a severed head.”

Sora’s eyes opened so wide that it looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets.

“…It’s…one of ours.” Riku rubbed his temple.

_“What kind of sicko would send this to us???”_

“Clearly someone who wanted to send our clan a  _loud_  message. The question is  _why….”_  Riku placed a hand on his chin.

Kairi forced herself to stand up. Sora stayed close to make sure she wouldn’t fall over.

“…A letter,” she whispered. “There’s a letter. Next to the box.”

Sora looked down at the desk. He picked up the crinkled sheet of paper. His nose scrunched up at the sight and smell of what it was written in.

**I KNOW YOU’RE READING THIS.**

**WELCOME TO MY GAME. IF YOU PLAY IT SMART, MAYBE YOU’LL ALL SURVIVE.**

**IF NOT….WELL….**

**…YOU CAN SEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THAT BOX.**

**LET’S HAVE FUN GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER.**

**P.S.: SHE’S A _LIAR._**

Sora set the letter down, mildly disturbed by the implications.

“….Was that letter….addressed to  _me?”_

Kairi cleared her throat, quickly regaining her composure. She nodded sadly.

“I told you before, Sora. It wasn’t you. It couldn’t have been.”

He gasped. “So it  _was_  from the guy who looks like me!”

Riku crossed his arms, thinking hard about the situation they were currently stuck in.

“…How did he get in? There’s guards all over the place. Our doors and the front gate are locked at all times unless we let someone in. The only thing I can think of is that he slipped through during one of those moments.”

“Or he could’ve climbed up and broken through the window!” Sora suggested. “I probably would’ve done that.”

“…Sora. This building is 10 stories high. We’re on the  _top floor._  No one would have the stamina to climb up the whole way. And every other window below it is barred. Plus, there’s no glass on the carpet.”

“Oh yeah. Sorry.” Sora rubbed the back of his head.

Kairi sighed. “All right, boys. We have to deal with this. I’ll go find my father while you two clean this up. We’re going to put a stop to this before it even starts.”

Sora and Riku nodded. “Right!”

Kairi left her office without saying anything else. Once the door closed, they got to work. Sora stared at the letter for a minute, then crumpled it up and threw it in the trash. Riku taped the box shut.

“…I’ll head downstairs to dispose of this. Sora, can you handle things while I’m gone?”

Sora shrugged. “It’s just a little blood. I can clean that off.”

“Okay. Call me if you find anything else.”

Riku headed out, making sure to close the door again. The last thing they needed was the rest of the clan figuring out what happened and going into a panic. In the meantime, Sora grabbed a brush from the storage closet and started scrubbing the desk.

_…Why me?_  He thought to himself.  _Why would he be interested in getting to know me when he tried to **kill**  me before?_

_….Although….when I think about it, he didn’t shoot to kill that day. I thought he did, but it was really just a scratch._

Sora instinctively reached up for the scar on the side of his head. He kept scrubbing the desk without paying attention.

_I wonder…._

Sora blinked when he heard something land on the floor with a thud. He looked down to see it was a photo frame. Specifically…the one with Kairi and her father.

“Oops!” Sora picked it up and noticed a small crack in the corner.

“Maybe…she won’t notice?”

His pouted.

“Nope. She’ll definitely notice. And now I’m taking to myself again…”

Sora set the frame down. As he lifted his hand, he felt a piece of paper cut it.

_“Ouch!”_  Sora put his index finger in his mouth. He looked down at the frame again. His eyebrow raised when he saw the back of a second picture sticking out of it.

“…Huh? What’s that?”

Sora looked around, then his eyes fell back to the frame. He reached down to pick it up again, but hesitated.

_…I shouldn’t poke around in her stuff. I trust Kairi._

_….Shouldn’t I?_

He thought back to the final message on the letter.

**_SHE’S A LIAR._ **

Sora shuffled nervously, trying to decide on what to do next. He finally caved into his curiosity and snatched up the frame.

_Just a peek. It can’t be THAT bad. Maybe she doesn’t like how the second picture came out._

_…Yeah. I’ll go with that._

Sora yanked out the photo, squeezing his eyes shut. He opened one and flipped the photo around to see what it was.

He turned pale.

_…No. There’s no way. This….this has to be **fake.**_

As he glared at the image, the door opened. Kairi strolled inside with Riku behind her.

“I spoke to my father on the phone. He’s going….to….” her voice faltered as she noticed what he was holding.

Sora glanced back at her, clutching the photo. His expression was unreadable, but it was far from happy. It showed Kairi in between Eraqus and Xehanort, with another young child next to her.

A boy. And not just any boy. He looked  _exactly_  like Sora. But they all knew from the eyes alone that it wasn’t.

“Kairi.  _What is this?”_

Kairi marched over to Sora and swiped the picture from his hands.

“You weren’t supposed to see that.”

Riku took the picture from her. After processing what was on it, he met her eyes with a hard gaze.

“…I’m with Sora on this one.  _Explain.”_

Kairi sat down in her chair with a defeated look in her eyes. She gazed up at her two best friends, feeling guilty.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to say anything yet.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.” Sora’s tone was firm. “Why did you feel the need to hide this from us? What’s going on in this picture?”

“It’s not easy to explain.” Kairi averted her eyes.

“…But I’ll tell you. It wasn’t right for me to avoid saying anything until now.”

Kairi shut her eyes.

“…I know who he is, more or less. We only met once. It was around middle school. The same time I met you, Sora. Needless to say, I was very confused to meet the doppelganger of my newest friend.”

Sora placed his hand on top of hers. She looked up at him in surprise. He looked nervous, but masked it with a calm expression.

“Tell me everything.”

****

Eraqus smiled warmly at his daughter as she walked confidently beside him. She no longer felt quite as inclined to hold his hand whenever they went to places with strangers. While most parents tended to miss that sort of thing, he believed the exact opposite.

_She’s growing up so fast. She’ll make a fine leader someday._

“Papa, where are we going?” Kairi raised her head to look up at Eraqus.

“To the office, dear.”

“For what?”

“To meet up with your uncle. He told me he wanted to show us something.”

“Why? What is it?”

Eraqus chuckled. “Quite inquisitive today, aren’t you?”

“Of course!” Kairi said. “My science teacher told me it’s good to ask questions. That even scientists ask stuff to do experiments, and other grown-ups too for whatever they do.”

“He’s not wrong.” Eraqus shrugged. “But even I don’t know the answer, Kairi. It’ll be a surprise to both of us when we get there.”

Eraqus approached the side entrance to Xehanort’s stronghold, as he had requested on the phone. Kairi hid a little behind him when they got close to the door and the guard in front of it. He said nothing as he looked at Eraqus. He nodded and opened the door for them.

“Th….thank you…” Kairi mumbled to the guard. As they walked past him, he eyed her suspiciously. She sped up a little avoid that piercing gaze.

Kairi decided to cling to her father’s arm until they reached Xehanort, which Eraqus didn’t mind doing. The moment she heard her uncle’s voice, she let go.

“Eraqus! Kairi! How wonderful to see you both again!”

Xehanort chortled as Kairi gave him a quick hug, not wanting to look too weak in front of his men. Based on all the mutterings and faint laughs she overheard, it wasn’t working too well.

“What’s this about, Xehanort?” Eraqus asked. “Is something wrong?”

“Quite the opposite, actually!” Xehanort seemed a bit more excited than usual. “I have excellent news.”

“Which would be?”

Xehanort grinned. “Let me show you. Vanitas!”

Kairi heard a bit of rustling behind some crates. He tilted her body until she caught sight of some black hair.

“Come out some more, boy. We can’t see you from there.”

They heard Vanitas sigh, then he poked his head out. Kairi choked on her own breath when she saw him.

She tugged at Eraqus’s pants to get his attention. He kneeled down.

“What’s wrong?”

“Papa, he looks exactly like one of my best friends…!” she whispered in his ear. “You know which one I’m talking about, right?”

Eraqus pretended to pull at invisible spikes of hair. Kairi nodded, placing her hands over her mouth to suppress a giggle.

Xehanort cleared his throat. “What are you two whispering about?”

“Nothing!” Kairi stood up straight, but found her attention kept diverting over to Vanitas. He stared back at her, appearing slightly annoyed.

Xehanort looked at Eraqus with an amused, yet questioning gaze. Eraqus stood back up.

“She was just telling me that this boy looks like her friend. It’s probably just a coincidence, but…even I have to admit that the resemblance is uncanny.”

Vanitas furrowed his brows, saying nothing as he stepped out from behind the crates. He walked over to them then stopped rigidly, crossing his arms.

Xehanort stroked his goatee. “…Interesting. Well, I suppose I should give him a more formal introduction. Meet my protégé.”

“Proto-what?” Kairi jutted out her bottom lip.

“A protégé is basically a student, Kairi. A younger person that is often guided by a much older and experienced individual.”

“Like my teachers?”

“Yes.” Eraqus nodded. “Exactly like that. Or like you and me.”

“Ohhh…I get it now.” she smiled nervously. “Sorry! I haven’t heard that word in school yet.”

“No need to apologize.” Xehanort shook his head, smiling at her.

“It’s fine that you don’t know everything yet. You’re still so very young, much like Vanitas here.” he placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder, who pulled away almost instantly.

“Speaking of which…how would you like to get to know each other?”

Kairi mouth dropped open. “What???”

“I have to speak with your father about something in private. In the meantime, I would appreciate it  _greatly_  if you kept Vanitas some company. He doesn’t have any friends his age and is still rather new to how the yakuza work. I am sure you could both learn from each other.”

“No way!” Kairi swiveled her head to the left, closing her eyes. “Boys suck.”

Eraqus stifled a laugh. “Your two best friends are boys, Kairi. I thought you would be over such silly notions once you entered 6th grade.”

“Sora and Riku are different! Every other boy I’ve met is  _rude_.” She stuck out her tongue. “Even the grown-up guys are. I heard Xehanort’s men. I’m not deaf.”

Xehanort laughed a bit more loudly than usual, shooting a death glare at two clan members that passed them by. They clamped their mouths shut and sped down the hallway. Vanitas rolled his eyes.

Eraqus placed his hands on Kairi’s shoulders.

“Come now, Princess. If not for your uncle’s  _polite_  request to hang out with this boy for a bit, then do it for me?”

Kairi blushed.

_“You promised you wouldn’t use that nickname in PUBLIC!”_

Eraqus placed a hand over his mouth.

“Ah! I’m so sorry. I did promise that, didn’t I?”

Kairi groaned. “Ugh.  _Fine_. I’ll do it. As long as you KEEP your promise this time.”

“That’s the spirit.” Eraqus grinned at her. “And I swear to you I will never say that again unless you allow it.”

“Good!” Kairi nodded firmly.

“May  _I_  be allowed to say it from time to time?” Xehanort asked jokingly.

_**“NO.”** _

The two older men laughed.

“Yo, boss!” a clan member approached, holding a small camera. “You still wanted that picture?”

“Absolutely!” Xehanort looked over at Kairi and Eraqus. “I hope you two don’t mind. I wanted a memento of all of us together, at least once.”

Eraqus nodded. “Very well. I see nothing wrong with that. Kairi?”

“Umm…” Kairi glanced at Vanitas.

“Don’t be shy.” Xehanort pushed the two children closer together. “Just smile for the camera, and it’ll be over in the blink of an eye.”

Eraqus and Xehanort stood behind them. Kairi forced a tiny smile, while Vanitas didn’t even try. They squinted as the light from the camera flashed.

“Alright then. We’ll be back soon. Have fun!” Xehanort waved at the two children.

Once they left, Kairi was suddenly at a loss with what to do next. Vanitas just kept on staring her down. She could practically feel his eyes burning through the back of her head. Didn’t help that she kept picturing Sora doing the same thing.

She took a deep breath, then spun around. Without any warning, she grabbed his arm and started tugging him up the stairs. His skin felt oddly cold to the touch.

“I’m guessing you don’t really know everything about this place yet, so I’m gonna give you a quick tour. How does that sound?”

Silence. Kairi blew a strand of hair out of her face.

“…Or just keep quiet. That works too, I guess.”

****

Kairi spent the next half hour showing Vanitas the different rooms in the building and what was inside each one. Clan members walked by them every once in a while, saying demeaning things about the two children. Vanitas shot dirty looks at the yakuza every time, while Kairi pressed on and did her best to ignore them.

“…And this is another bathroom.” Kairi pointed at a door that was clearly labeled “Supply Closet”.

“Yeah. I know what it says. But trust me, it’s a bathroom.” Kairi opened the door, revealing the toilet and the sink pressed a bit too close for comfort.

“I don’t know why it’s so tiny. But I  _do_  know Mr. Xigbar swapped the label with the  _actual_  supply closet as a practical joke. Uncle hasn’t told him to change it back, so I guess he thinks it’s funny too. It’s all fun and games until someone pees all over themselves  _and_  the broom. That…did happen one time. It was awful.”

Vanitas cracked a smile. Kairi was a little surprised to see that. For the short time she had known him, she’d only seen two emotions on his face: angry or dead inside.

“Umm…” Kairi looked around to distract herself from it. The smile looked less genuine and more malicious than anything.

“…Anyways, I’m just about done showing you everything. There really aren’t any interesting rooms left, aside from two empty ones. We should probably head ba-”

“What about  _that_  room?”

Kairi turned back to him. Her expression shifted from shock to irritation.

“So you  _do_  talk. You could’ve mentioned that earlier. Why didn’t you?”

“Because you’re annoying.” Vanitas walked past her as she scowled at him. He looked up at the door with the words “RESTRICTED AREA” written in bold, red letters.

Her frustration quickly faded, replaced by concern.

“Umm…you shouldn’t go in there.”

“Why not?”

Kairi placed her hands on her hips. He was seriously testing her patience.

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the words 'Restricted Area’ weren’t enough of a hint? It probably isn’t safe.”

“So you  _don’t_  know what’s in there.” Vanitas shook his head. “Typical.”

_“Excuse me?!?”_ Kairi exclaimed. “For the record, I know  _way_  more about this place than  _you_  do!”

“At a superficial level.” Vanitas glanced back at her with his scorching yellow eyes.

“You don’t know what they  _really_  do around here. But that’s okay. We’re both just kids in their eyes. I can’t expect you to know everything being daddy’s little  _princess_  all the time.”

Kairi’s face turned red with silent fury. She stormed towards the restricted door and grabbed the handle.

_“I’ll show YOU who’s a stupid princess!!!”_

She swung the door open. It was too dark to see what was inside, but she felt a strong chill wash over her. Kairi shuddered as Vanitas stood next to her.

“Wow. Didn’t think you’d actually do that.” Vanitas smirked and went inside. 

“Guess you’re not as lame as I thought.”

“I liked it better when you were a _mute.”_  Kairi reluctantly followed him into the room.

The two children inspected the area around them. It seemed the further they went in, the cooler it got. Eventually, Kairi could see her own breath. She rubbed her arms for warmth, then yelped as something smooth grazed her leg.

“Relax. It’s an IV.” Vanitas grabbed the metal pole and moved it around on its tiny wheels. “This must be a medical wing for when clan members get hurt.”

“Why’s it so cold, though?” Kairi voice’s quivered. “It seems kind of unnecessary….”

Vanitas shrugged. “I dunno. Does it matter? This is the most interesting room you’ve shown me all day.”

Kairi sighed. She sat down on a nearby gurney.

“So…is your hair naturally black?”

“Nope. Dyed it.”

“Xehanort let you do that? My dad won’t even let me cut my own hair.”

“Guess he’s more lenient than your pops, then.” Vanitas picked at a loose string of cloth on the gurmey. “Didn’t like my old hair color anyways…”

Kairi kicked her feet back and forth, pondering what he’d told her.

“…If it’s okay for me to ask…what’s your story?”

Vanitas sat down on the gurney opposite to hers. He curved his mouth.

“Not much. Just a orphan he picked up off the streets. You?”

“I was born on a island.” Kairi closed her eyes momentarily. “We didn’t have a lot of money, but we were happy. Then by some dumb luck, my dad’s foster parent decided to step down as leader of his clan. He gave my dad the family name, and now we’re here.”

“He’s busy a lot, so I don’t see him much like I used to. But at least I have my friends.” she smiled faintly.

“What about your mom? You didn’t mention her.”

“She passed away a few days after I was born.” Kairi opened her eyes with a dejected expression. “I don’t remember her.”

“I don’t remember my parents either, so I get it.” Vanitas lied down. 

“…Another thing. Those clan members were talking crap behind our backs. Why did you keep quiet and take it?”

Kairi pouted. “I didn’t see  _you_  running up to them for a fight, either.” 

“Because I’m not stupid. I know when I’m outmatched and outgunned. But you? You’re practically at the top of the food chain. There’s no way they could’ve touched you if you’d yelled at them or something. Not without having to cut off their fingers.”

“They don’t deserve my attention. No point in riling them up. It’s better to just ignore bullies like that.” Kairi lifted her legs up onto the gurney. 

“…You’re just letting them win if you do that. Sometimes it really is better to be the bigger person. It’ll show them that you’re strong, even if you’re still kind of-”

“-An _outsider,_ ” Vanitas finished. “Some stranger they can treat like dirt. They don’t belong here, and maybe they never will.”

Kairi looked at him with an unreadable expression.

“…Yeah. Pretty much.”

Vanitas shot up from the gurney.

“Well, I’m gonna keep checking this place out. You can stay here or join me. I don’t care which.”

“Go on without me,” Kairi said. "I don’t really want to explore anymore.” 

Vanitas hummed. “Suit yourself.” 

****

20 minutes passed as Kairi waited for Vanitas to get bored and come back. Then 30. Then 45. She started to get worried as the clock on the wall was getting closer to an hour.

_….I should’ve gone with him. He’s probably lost. I just wanted some space from all his weirdness…_

Kairi slid off the gurney and started walking in the direction she’d last seen the boy go. The hallway seemed to stretch out forever.

_…This room looked WAY smaller from the outside._

At some point, the darkness became so thick that she could hardly see at all. Kairi reached out for a light source. Her hand touched a small lamp on a table. She let out a sigh of relief when she felt that it was wireless.

_I can use this. I just hope it still works._

Kairi fumbled with the lamp for a few minutes until the found the switch. She flipped it, and the lamp flickered on. The light was dim, but it was better than nothing.

“Vanitas?” she called out. “Where are you?”

No answer. Kairi kept walking, using the light to scan her surroundings.

_…Maybe he got hurt…?_  Kairi’s eyebrows creased.

_Or he’s just messing with me. That would make more sense._

Kairi jumped as she heard something crash onto the ground. She heard a faint groan, then some mumbled, aggressive cursing.

_Found him. That was easy._

Kairi used the light to head in the direction of the noise. She started to smell something strange as she got closer to him.

_What is that? Metal?_  Kairi sniffed the air.

_…No. Something’s off about it._

_Splish._

She stepped in something wet. Kairi turned the lamp down to see what it was…and stifled a scream. She scrambled backwards, nearly slipping and falling into it.

_Blood?!? Where did it all come from?!?_

“Ugh…”

Kairi raised the lamp and caught sight of Vanitas. He was lying on the ground. There were two large blood packets attached to IV’s, torn and spilling all over the floor. It didn’t seem like he’d noticed what it was yet.

“V…Vanitas?”

_“What???”_  He sounded pissed off, and rightfully so. “Here to mock me for not seeing that 'wet floor’ sign? Tried to break my fall with one of the metal poles, but it didn’t work.”

Kairi noted the yellow sign that was knocked over and smeared with blood. She gulped.

“No. I was looking for you.” Kairi took a step forward, trying her best to avoid the blood around them.

“P-please get up. You  _really_  don’t want to stay there.”

Vanitas grunted and sat up. Kairi’s light was starting to fade out.

“What? What are you making that face f-”

He froze, realizing what was all around him. Kairi held her breath as she got closer and yanked at his arm.

“C'mon. Get up. We have to leave. My dad’s gonna  _kill_  me for this….” Kairi bit her lip.

Vanitas didn’t move. She pulled a little harder.

“Hey. Are you okay?”

He didn’t answer. She heard his breathing speed up a bit, and he started to tremble.

“Vanitas!  _What’s wrong with you?!?”_  Kairi shook him and saw that his eyes had glazed over. He looked petrified.

“We don’t have to stay here if you could just  _move_  already!”

Kairi lifted him up by the arm, careful to not yank too hard and accidentally injure his shoulder. She broke into a sprint, weighed down slightly by Vanitas dragging his feet. Once she got too tired to go on, she plopped down on the floor. He crumpled into a quivering heap a few inches away from her.

Kairi didn’t know what to do. She kept her distance to make sure she wouldn’t make things worse for him. He looked like he was in a lot of pain. 

Seeing that he wasn’t going to move any time soon, she stood up.

“I’m gonna go get help. I’ll be right back.” Kairi spun around and headed in the direction of the exit. At least…she thought it was. Everything looked the same in the dark, and the lamp was barely letting out light anymore. She _really_  hoped she wasn’t wrong.

“Wait.”

Kairi turned her head. Vanitas had suddenly stopped shaking. He got back up with no difficulty, then his dull eyes locked onto hers.

“I’m fine. Let’s keep going.” his voice was flat and monotonous, which made Kairi a little uncomfortable.

“…Okay….I guess we should go get you cleaned up.”

They walked down the dimly lit hall in silence for a while. Kairi tapped the lamp a few times whenever it shut off in an attempt to squeeze as much light out of it as she could. Vanitas kept his head down, but she’d catch him staring at her a few times. 

At this point, she was desperate to find the exit. Her nerves could only handle so much, and he wasn’t helping. She silently wished that it had been  _Sora_ by her side this entire time. He was much better company to be around than whatever _this_ was.

_…Maybe if I try making conversation with him again, I won’t feel so scared._ Kairi breathed in shakily.

“Vanitas, can I ask you something?”

He shrugged. Kairi took that as a ‘yes’.

“Do you know someone named Sora?”

Vanitas shook his head, a little too quickly. She found that a bit suspicious, but decided not to pry any further.

“…Never mind, then.” Kairi smacked the lamp again to keep it going. It wasn’t going to last for much longer.

“Can…” Kairi’s voice cracked. “Can I ask….what happened back there?”

Vanitas lowered his head. Kairi frowned when a terrible thought crossed her mind.

“…Did Xehanort do something  _bad_  to you?”

He gritted his teeth.

_“Shut. Up.”_

Kairi was taken aback by the hostility in his tone. She looked away in shame.

“…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“Yes, you  _did._ You brought it up, so you clearly wanted to see how I would react. Are you satisfied?”

“You’re jumping to conclusions.” Kairi protested. “I just want to know if you’re really okay. A freak-out like that isn’t exactly _normal.”_

Kairi cried out as Vanitas seized her arm, digging his fingers into it. She hadn’t expected him to be so strong. 

_“Who said anything about me being normal?”_ he hissed. “Looks like  _you’re_ jumping to conclusions, too.”

“I know you don’t actually care. Nobody does. You’re just curious like the rest of them, wanting to see what makes me _tick.”_

“Let go. Please.” Kairi tried to pull away, but he refused to release her just yet. There was a manic gleam in his eyes, which frightened her.

“…I have a better idea.  _How about I **show**  you what Imean?”_

_****_

“Where on earth did those children run off to?”

Xehanort walked up the stairs alongside Eraqus, whose expression was filled with concern.

“Kairi knows this place almost as well as my headquarters. She couldn’t have gotten lost. You don’t think your men had something to do this?”

Xehanort shook his head. “They know better. I do NOT take treason lightly.”

“Maybe they stumbled across a room she didn’t know about. Any that you can think of?”

Xehanort pondered his friend’s question.

“…Well…there are a some places where only a select few are allowed to enter. I know that Kairi wouldn’t be so reckless as to go inside. But Vanitas, on the other hand….”

Eraqus grimaced. “I knew right away that there was something off about that boy. What aren’t you telling me?”

Xehanort opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by a scream down the hallway. Eraqus looked at him for a split second, then bolted towards the room at the end of the second floor. Xehanort followed closely behind him.

Eraqus shoved the double doors to the infirmary open. His eyes widened when he saw Kairi lying on the ground, with Vanitas standing over her. He was holding a small knife that was stained with blood, and his clothes were covered in it. Eraqus stormed over to the boy and grabbed him by the shoulders.

_“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?”_  Eraqus shouted. 

Vanitas said nothing, staring at the man with unsettling grin. Eraqus pushed the boy as far away from Kairi as possible. Eraqus picked up his daughter, wincing at the sight of the wound in her back. Thankfully, she was still breathing. The cut wasn’t too deep, but she most likely fainted from the shock. 

Vanitas started to giggle to himself, staring at the ground for no apparent reason. Xehanort grabbed Vanitas by the arm and snatched the knife. He slapped the boy across the face.

_“You stole this from me.“_

_“Xehanort.”_ Eraqus shook his head in disapproval. “A child won’t learn from senseless violence and cruelty. Or have you forgotten when you helped me with Kairi? You should know better.”

Xehanort remained quiet. Eraqus shut his eyes.

“Fine. Don’t say anything. I see how it is.” he walked past Xehanort with a hardened expression.

“Don’t you _ever_ let the boy come near my daughter. It will be a _long time_  before I trust you around her again.”

****

The three friends sat in silence. Kairi didn’t look at Sora or Riku as they registered what she’d told them. After a few minutes passed, Sora got up from his chair, went behind the desk and hugged her.

“…Why didn’t you just _tell_ us?”

“I told you.” Kairi sighed wearily. “It’s hard to talk about.”

“So _that’s_ where your scar came from.” Riku clenched his hands. “That  _bastard.”  
_

“If you’re talking about Vanitas, don’t.” Kairi rubbed the side of her head. “No person is born with that sort of behavior. Even if he wasn’t directly responsible, I know that Xehanort did _something_  to make him that way _._  That’s why I barely talk to him anymore.”

Riku grunted. “That still doesn’t justify what he  _has_  done. I’m pretty sure that Xehanort didn’t order him to leave a head at your desk.”

“And he’s the reason why my parents are dead.” Sora gritted his teeth.

“This whole time he’s been so close by…and I had no idea.” he let go of Kairi, a determined expression forming on his face.

“I have to talk to him. I need to know  _why.”_

“There is  _no way_  you are dealing with him alone.” Riku put his hand on Sora’s shoulder. “I’m going with you.”

“No.” Sora took his hand off. “This is something I need to do on my own.”

Riku opened his mouth to argue, but Kairi raised her hand to stop him.

“He’s right, Riku. He has to do this alone.”

“But what if he  _really_ tries to kill him this time?!?” Riku bared his teeth. “I don’t want  _that_  on my conscience too!!!”

“He won’t.”

Riku turned towards Sora in disbelief. 

“The letter made it crystal clear. He wants to talk.” Sora crossed his arms. 

“I know it’s not a lot to go off of, and there’s no guarantee he’ll keep his word…but it doesn’t change the fact that I have to do this with no help. I don’t….want you guys to get hurt because of me.” Sora shut his eyes. 

“And I’m _really_ sorry I wasn’t there for you, Kairi.”

She shook her head. “That’s wasn’t your fault. There’s no way you could have known. You weren’t even yakuza yet.”

“Still.” Sora opened his eyes. “I owe it you guys to not let you get involved. You’re my  _best friends_. I wouldn’t forgive myself if anything ever happened to either of you.”

“Sora…” Riku gazed at his friend sadly. He took a deep breath.

“Alright. I won’t interfere. But at least wait until tomorrow. It’s already dark outside.”

Kairi rubbed his arm. “Be careful. We’ll be with you in spirit.”

Sora gave them both an indistinct nod.

“Yeah.”

****

The faint sound of jostling keys was the only thing that could be heard amidst the silence. Sora unlocked the front door to his house, tossing his coat on the hanger. He shut and locked it behind him, then plopped down on his couch. He mind was still spinning from the events of the day.

_No more. I’m gonna figure out what your ‘game’ is._

“Hello.”

Sora shot up from his couch, pulling his gun out. He aimed it in the direction of the voice. The light of a car driving down the road outside pooled through the windows, revealing someone sitting in the center of the living room. His legs were crossed casually as he laid back.

“Great to see you again,  _brother._  I think it’s time we had a little chat.”


	6. Two Of A Kind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part in particular is one I had a lot of fun with. Having Sora and Vanitas interact (in the present at least) is something I wanted to do from the very beginning. Hope you like it!

"Not gonna lie, it's starting to get a  _little_ cramped in here."

Lea stood in the corner of the hospital room with Isa. Terra sat right next to one of the beds, watching Aqua sleep with an anxious expression. The doctors had given her Roxas's bed once they'd cleaned the sheets, per his request. 

"It's...fine. I like the company."

Lea glanced at Ventus, who had finally managed to start talking. But it still seemed to take a lot out of him when he did.

Roxas glared at him. "Don't talk. Keep resting."

Ventus rolled his eyes and sighed. Even though it was frustrating to see his brother push himself to speak or even _move_ , Roxas was at least glad to see he was still like his old self.

"Where's...Xion?" Ventus asked. "I figured she would be here."

"She had to go to class." Roxas rubbed his head. "She missed a lot of days coming to visit us."

"Oh yeah." Ventus closed his eyes. 

"...We are _so_ gonna fail."

"Oh well." Roxas shrugged. "It's no big deal. We can always take the classes again."

"Ven, how are you feeling?" Terra gave him a worried look. "Are you in any sort of pain?"

Ventus looked over at Terra and smiled a little.

"It's okay. It's not that bad. I...can handle it."

"If you say so. Don't be ashamed to ask for anything you need."

"Yeah. Thanks, Terra."

"Hey, who's wants to check out what's on TV?" Lea grinned. "There should be _something_ worth watching. Might distract us from all this heavy stuff for a while."

"That's the best idea you've had all day." Isa smirked.

"Sounds good!" Roxas and Ventus said in unison. They looked at each other in surprise, then laughed.

"Man, we haven't done that in forever." Roxas grinned. "Every other time we did it was just to mess with people." 

Ventus nodded slightly, careful to not jostle the cast around his neck too much.

"I remember that. Lea's reactions were the best."

"It gave me the creeps, okay? Lay off." Lea shook his head, then switched on the TV.

  _-"Head on down to Chef Bistro today te have a taste of our delectable cuisine (sponsored by McDuck Enterprises)! Satisfaction guaranteed, or yer money back! Actually no, there's no refunds. Ye'll just have te grin and bear it."_

Lea scoffed. "...Figures. Donald's uncle hasn't changed a bit."

"Are you going to hold that against him forever?" Isa raised an eyebrow.

"His uncle totally ripped me off when I bought ice cream at his stand. _Yes_ , I still hold it against him." Lea changed the channel.

_\---"Police claim that the suspect is extremely dangerous. We have yet to receive a visual, but we were informed that he is in fact a member of the yakuza. Civilians should keep an eye out for any suspicious individuals. For your own safety, make sure to lock your doors whether you're in or out of your homes. It's also highly recommended by the authorities to not walk outside alone, especially at night until the suspect is caught."_

"It appears that the chief finally released some of our case to the press." Isa crossed his arms.

Lea bit his bottom lip, glancing back at Ventus and Roxas for a split second.

"...I'll...switch to something else."

The woman on the screen started changing the subject to another news report, but stopped when someone approached her and whispered something in her ear. Her eyes widened.

_"...We've...just received an artist's rendering from the officials. Contact the police department immediately if you ever see this man."_

 Lea turned it off just before the killer appeared on the screen.

"On second thought, we don't _have_ to watch TV."

"...Turn it back on."

Lea turned back to Roxas.

"What?"

"Turn it. Back on." Roxas frowned. "I want to see it."

Ventus nodded with a solemn expression. "...Me too."

 Lea sighed. He pressed the power button. They stared at the all-too familiar face while the news reporter droned on about the case, then continued to another topic.

Roxas got up from his chair. "Do you have any more leads?"

Lea rubbed his arm. "...Not many. Even though Aqua cracked the code on where he came from and what his motives could be, we've still got nothing on where he is now. _Or_ who he works for."

"Then don't bother." Roxas closed his hands into fists.

"...I'll go after him myself."

 _"Are you crazy?!?"_ Ventus tried to raise his head, but stopped when he felt pain surge through his neck. He lied back down, sweating a little. Roxas looked at his brother, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"Let's be honest with ourselves for once. Out of everyone in this room, I'm the only one who _really_ knows how the yakuza work. I was one of them. So it should be me who tracks him down. I've still got a few friends in my old clan who wouldn't be against helping me out."

"You realize if you do this, we can't protect you." Lea furrowed his brows. "...And if you try joining the yakuza again, we might have to send you to prison."

Roxas nodded. "I understand the risks. But I'm willing to take them, for the sake of my friends and my family. He has to pay for what he's done."

"Roxas..." Ventus's voice shook. "Please don't do this. There has to be another way."

Roxas lowered his head.

"...I've gotta go. I'll...see you guys later."

He headed for the door, but was held back when a hand grabbed him. He looked down to see Aqua wide awake, with a distressed expression on her face. Roxas lingered for a moment before pulling away from her. A single tear fell from her eye as he walked out on them, yet again. It hurt just as much as the first time.

Aqua brushed the tear away.

_...At least this time, it's for a noble cause. Be careful._

****

This wasn't what he was expecting. 

Not even close.

He figured he would bust into Xehanort's headquarters and demand to see the guy that had been haunting him all these years. The same guy who shot his parents with a sadistic smile on his face. A face that looked too much like his own.

He wondered...if any of the people he ever shook down for loan debts ever saw him this way. Just the thought of it scared him. The last thing he wanted was to be a spitting image of the guy who called him 'brother'. And that word alone scared him even more. Deep inside his heart, he knew it was true. Despite the fact that he had no memory of a sibling in his entire life.

If that was the truth...then they weren't just _his_ parents. They were _their_ parents, and Vanitas didn't even care. It made him feel sick to his stomach.

"Well? Aren't you happy to see me?" Vanitas sneered. "I'm here now. This _is_ what you wanted."

Sora was still overcome with several emotions, most of them being negative. He took a deep breath to calm himself down and gather his thoughts.

"How did you get in my house? No wait-how did you even  _find_ me?" Sora grimaced.

Vanitas hummed, tapping his finger against the armrest of the chair.

"...I guess you could say I've been... _following_ you for a while."

"That's creepy." 

Vanitas faked a hurt expression, placing a hand on his chest. 

"Harsh. I was just looking out for you."

"Funny, I seem to remember you having no trouble trying to _shoot_ me."

Vanitas waved his hand dismissively. "Details, details. I just realized that it wouldn't have been smart."

Sora narrowed his eyes, expecting an explanation. Vanitas sighed.

"Okay, okay. If you must know the _real_ reason why I left you alive, it's because I didn't _want_ to kill you."

 _"Then why our parents?!?"_ Sora exclaimed. "What did they do to have made you want to _kill_ them???"

 _"What did they do?_ Are you _serious?_  " Vanitas snapped.

"...They _abandoned_ me and chose  _you_. They left me to _rot_ , while they kept their precious little _Sora_." Vanitas scowled at him. "It's clear they picked favorites, even though parents aren't supposed to do that. So why give them a chance when I knew they didn't care in the first place?" 

 _"You didn't even let them explain!!!"_ Sora's voice cracked. 

"Why bother?" Vanitas scoffed. "Not everyone is as kind as you think, Sora. Maybe they cared, maybe they didn't. Either way, I didn't want to hear their excuses."

Sora shook his head. He sat back down on the couch and rubbed his eyes.

"You're _awful."_

Vanitas tilted his head. "...Do you hate me?"

"Yes." Sora paused. "...No. I don't know."

"You do or you don't. Choose."

 _"I don't know!"_ Sora dropped his hand. "I don't know what to think of _any_ of this."

Vanitas rolled his eyes. _"God,_ you're stupid. Let me break it down for you in a way you'll _understand,_ then." 

He leaned forward.

"...Do you hate _me?_  Or do you hate what I _did?"_

Sora pondered the question. He closed his eyes for a moment.

"...I guess...I only hate what you did. Not _you_ necessarily. I don't know what could've driven you to do something that extreme, especially when you were only...um..."

"16." Vanitas shrugged. "We're the same age, idiot. Big surprise."

"I see." Sora opened his eyes, looking miserable. Vanitas groaned.

"Stop moping. Stop thinking of this as the worst thing that's ever happened to you. Instead, you should start thinking of this as an _opportunity."_

Sora raised an eyebrow. "...What do you mean?"

"I mean I would like to get to _know_ you." Vanitas gave him an annoyed look. "What else did you think I meant when I sent you that letter?"

"It sounded like a threat. People don't normally write letters with _blood,_ you know."

 _"Excuse me_ if I didn't have a pen. I'll be sure to carry one next time so you don't have to sully your _already_ dirty hands," He said sarcastically.

Sora huffed. "I don't believe you. What do you _really_ want with me?"

"Sorry to disappoint, but that's the _truth."_ Vanitas rested his elbow on his leg, placing his hand on his cheek. "I believe I'm entitled to gaining a better understanding of my brother. You know, since I didn't _have_ one before."

"...When did you even _learn_ about me? If you really were on your own as a kid, how did you figure it out?" Sora inquired.

"Xehanort told me." A sinister smile formed on Vanitas's mouth. "Gave me a picture of you next to your 'friends' or whatever, a little after I joined his clan. Everything else I learned was from researching the little information there was on the internet, then finding out where you lived. Easy enough."

Sora shifted in his seat uncomfortably. He didn't like the way Vanitas was staring at him. It was like he was trying to scrutinize every detail about him to a nearly obsessive degree. And he wasn't quite sure, but...he was picking up on a hint of _loneliness_ in those yellow eyes.

"...Well, I don't think I _want_ to get to know you. I can't forgive you for what you did to our parents."

 _"Your_ parents," Vanitas corrected. "I want nothing to do with _them."_

Sora's nostrils flared. He shot up from the couch and opened the front door.

"Then I want nothing to do with you either. _Get out of my house."_

Vanitas tutted at Sora, shaking his head. 

"That's not how this works, brother. You don't get a say in the matter."

"Get. Out." Sora squeezed the handle. "Or I'll _make_ you leave."

Vanitas chuckled. _"I'd like to see you try."_

He let go of the doorknob and clenched his hands.

"Have it your way."

Sora charged at Vanitas, who leapt out of his seat and landed behind it. He picked up the chair and threw it at Sora, who ducked before it could slam into him. Sora then caught Vanitas by the legs and yanked him down, making him fall. His head hit the ground first, leaving him dazed. Sora started trying to drag Vanitas out the door by one of his legs, but he was slowing him down by grabbing onto any piece of furniture they passed by. Eventually, Vanitas regained his focus enough to free himself from Sora's grip and got up. He swung at Sora, who dodged then retaliated by slugging Vanitas in the face. He spit out some blood and stumbled back, rubbing his jaw.

"...Huh. That actually hurt. I underestimated you, Sora." 

"It's kinda my job to do this sort of thing." Sora crossed his arms. "Now _leave._ I don't want this to get ugly."

Vanitas grinned, showing off his bloody teeth. 

"Aww, you _do_ have a soft spot for me."

"No, I just don't want to leave a mess on my floor."

"...We both know that isn't true."

Sora winced.

"Yeah, okay. So I _don't_ like hurting people, even though I can and I'm supposed to. I only joined the yakuza to see if I could find my parents' murderer. Which I finally did."

"That makes two of us." Vanitas wiped his mouth. "We were both looking for someone, and we finally found them. But that's where the resemblance ends."

"...I _do_ wish we had more in common, brother. You and I, we're two sides of the same coin. If it weren't for our conflicting ideologies, we'd be _unstoppable_ working together."

"Thanks, but no thanks." Sora shoved him closer to the door. "I'm not going to ask you nicely again. Please leave."

"Wait, wait." Vanitas patted Sora's shoulder, his bangs covering his eyes.

"Can I say... _one_ more thing?" 

Sora sighed. "...Fine. What is it?"

In a split second, Sora felt a needle rammed into his neck. He didn't react fast enough as Vanitas injected the contents into his veins. Sora pushed him away and ripped out the needle from his neck, then clutched the spot with his hand.

"What...what did you...." Sora stumbled on his words, suddenly feeling dizzy. His legs wobbled as he started to lose consciousness. 

"I made that one _extra_ drowsy. I hope you like long naps."

Sora fell to his hands, breathing in and out shakily. Vanitas kneeled down to face him.

"I won't make the same mistake next time. I'll hit you with everything I've got, even if it _breaks_ you." Vanitas laughed hoarsely. 

"...Honestly, that would be the ideal result. It would make things _so_ much easier." 

"Y....y-you..." Sora tried to grab him by the shirt, but Vanitas kicked him to the ground. He struggled to keep his eyes open, grunting in frustration. Whatever he'd been injected with was draining him of all his energy. He was so tired.

"Shhhh...." Vanitas placed his index finger over his mouth, grinning from ear to ear.

"Don't fight it, brother. Sleep."

Sora shook his head groggily.

"I said _sleep."_

As if he'd triggered a command, Sora blacked out.

****

Kairi twisted a strand of her red hair, scribbling down notes on a sheet of paper with her other hand.

"Gonna have to cut funds to gambling this month if they don't do better...didn't make enough money..." She instinctively put the strand in her mouth.

The office doors swung open. Kairi spit out her hair and brushed with her fingers to look more presentable. She pouted when she realized who it was.

"You're late again, Sora."

"S-Sorry!" He bowed and got closer to her desk. "I didn't mean to."

Kairi shook her head. "I'm sure you were just worried about what you were going to do today. And thank you for checking in with me beforehand. It puts me more at ease."

"No problem." Sora scratched his cheek, smiling nervously.

"...Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah, of course." Sora shrugged. "You know me. I'm always the optimist."

Kairi crossed her arms on the desk. She leaned forward.

"...It's okay to be sad sometimes, you know. It isn't healthy to bottle all that up."

Sora looked down. "I know."

Kairi reached out and touched his arm. He lowered it slightly.

"We'll talk about this later. Is that alright?"

Sora nodded, his eyes lighting up.

"Good." Kairi smiled back at him, then went back to writing. Sora leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead.

"I'll see you tonight then, Princess."

"Mmhmm." Kairi was fully focused on her work now. Sora said nothing else as he left her office.

 Meanwhile, Riku passed by Sora while he went to speak with Kairi as well. It was sort of a morning routine for the three of them. As he walked, however, he heard heavy footsteps approaching him. Riku turned around to see it was Aeleus, who stopped rigidly in front of him and nodded.

"Boss."

"It's just Riku." he smiled a little. "What's up?"

"I've come to ask if Ms. Kairi received her package."

"Package?"

"Yes." Aeleus nodded again. "The one Sora got clearance to send up to her yesterday. Dilan and I allowed it since he is above us in rank, and insisted it was of the utmost importance for her to receive."

"...Yesterday...?" Riku frowned. "...I was with Sora yesterday. He never brought a package for her."

"He didn't?" Aeleus rubbed his chin. "That's...odd. I definitely spoke with him yesterday regarding it."

Riku's eyebrows creased. "...Strange..."

His eyes widened in horror when it clicked in his mind.

_"No."_

"Riku?" Aeleus gave him a confused look. "What is it?"

Riku spun around just in time to see Sora enter the elevator. His 'friend' turned around just as the doors closed...and grinned back.

"HEY!" Riku rushed towards the elevator, slamming his fists on it. He pressed the button furiously for it to go back up, but the elevator continued downwards. 

"AELEUS!!!" Riku shouted. "Get as many men as you can to gather on every floor in front of the elevator. We can't let him leave."

"Wait, why?"

_"JUST DO IT!"_

Startled by his intensity, Aeleus jogged to the staircase and headed down to the next floor, shouting orders. Riku looked over at Kairi's office, where she'd stepped out with a pale face.

"Kairi?"

"...He called me _Princess."_ Kairi stared at Riku with a mixture of anger and fear in her expression. "He doesn't call me that.  _That wasn't Sora._ And I _fell_ for it."

 "I sent Aeleus to warn the others." Riku shut his eyes. "...Kairi, they have to know what's going on. You can't hide this anymore."

She nodded. "Once they catch him, I'll tell them everything. Let's head downstairs."

****

The yakuza members were positioned on the bottom floor, guns aimed at the elevator. Kairi and Riku stood by with worried expressions as the elevator got closer and closer to the bottom. After a few minutes, the door lit up with a 'ding' noise. Kairi held her breath as her men placed their fingers on the triggers. It slid open...

...And no one was there.

 _"What?!?"_ Riku poked his head inside. The elevator was empty.

"...He must've gotten off on a higher floor."

_"Boss!!!"_

Kairi looked over at the staircase and gasped. It was Dilan with a wound in his side. Aeleus ran over to him to help him stay standing.

"...It was Sora. He...he _attacked_ me. He slit the throat of another. I tried to stop him despite my injury, but he jumped out the window..."

There were collective gasps and exclamations of disbelief among the crowd. Riku and Kairi exchanged a concerned glance.

"Why would he attack two of our own?!? He's one of our _lieutenants!"_

"Is he working with another clan to _sabotage_ us???"

"He's a _traitor!"_

_"We should take him out!"_

"ENOUGH!!!" Kairi yelled. Every single member went silent at her commanding tone. She smoothed out her blouse and cleared her throat.

"...There's something I should have told you all a few weeks ago. Sora is _not_ a traitor. But there _is_ someone attempting to sabotage him..."


	7. The Shadow

"P-please, sir...could you help us?"

Roxas stopped walking. He glanced to the left, still obscuring most of his face with his hoodie. It was a young woman in filthy clothes, hugging her tiny son that was fast asleep in her lap. Struck by a wave of sympathy, he took off his hood for a moment, kneeled down, then gave her a $20 bill he'd been saving for food in his pocket. It was all he had left from his latest paycheck. If he hadn't been staying with Ven and Aqua, he probably would've been out on the street like this poor lady was. She simply gazed at him in disbelief, hesitant to reach out and accept what he was offering her.

"Take it." he placed the money in her hand. "You need it more than I do."

She sniffed and nodded, mouthing the words 'thank you' to him. Roxas smiled a little as she carefully took the money from his hands and kissed her son's head. He stood up and started walking, waving at the small family just before he turned back around. Seeing those two only made him miss _his_ family more. For a moment, he wondered if he was really doing the right thing by going back to his old gang. He knew once he set foot in there, memories of his odd jobs and the people he used to work with would resurface. Which would lead to him feeling nostalgic, then having the urge to rejoin them for the sake of familiarity and comfort.

_...All that cash I used to get...I could give some to Aqua and Ven, to support them. And maybe help people like the lady back there..._

He shook his head.

_NO. I have to stop thinking like that. I won't go back, no matter how tempting it is._ He sighed.

_...It's a good thing I'm not headed to the old hideout just yet._

Roxas flinched when a droplet of water landed on his nose. He lifted his head to see that the sky was getting darker. It was going to rain. Roxas pulled up his hoodie again and buried his hands into his pockets. Once it began to pour, he quickened his pace to a light jog. He managed to reach his destination within three minutes, but he was already soaked. He squinted as the brilliant flashing lights on the building stuck out from the rain. 

_Havoc's Casino._ Roxas stepped under the sign to shield himself from the rain. _I've always wondered why they call it that._

He closed his eyes momentarily.

_...Now's as good a time as any to ask._

****

 "Read 'em and weep, boys."

A large, buff gang member threw his deck of cards on the table. The other men groaned, seeing that his cards were of greater value than theirs. The only one who didn't seem disappointed was a man in a sharp black tux, with silver piercings on his ears. His light blue eyes drifted up to his opponent, who gave him a smug grin.

"What's the matter, pretty boy? Ain't got nothing good like the others, I'll bet."

He smiled politely, then set down his cards. The gang member's jaw dropped as he glared at the deck full of aces.

"So sorry to disappoint, but it appears that I've _won_. Better luck next time, mate."

The large man slammed his fists on the table. He took a deep breath to calm himself down, then begrudgingly forked over his pile of chips.

"Yeah, yeah. You win again, Luxord. Big surprise."

Luxord rose up from his seat and bowed, placing a hand on his chest.

"A pleasure to play against you all as always. But I should be getting back to work. The casino can't run the games by _itself,_ after all."

"...Right. We'll see you back at HQ, then."

The gang member stood up and left, with his small crew following behind him. Satisfied, Luxord started collecting the pile of chips from the table and reorganizing the deck of cards. He looked around as he did so, until his eyes fell on a suspicious individual wearing a black sweater. His eyes widened when the person took off his hoodie and stared right back at him. Luxord immediately recognized who it was. He put the chips back down and approached with a friendly and curious demeanor. He noted that the young man was a bit taller than the last time he'd seen him.

"Roxas. Aren't you a sight for sore eyes. To what do I owe this unexpected visit?" Luxord pulled out another deck of cards from his pocket and started shuffling them. "Perhaps to indulge me in another game? You never had much strategy, but I always marveled at your surprisingly good luck."

"...Maybe another time." Roxas looked around to make sure no one was listening in to their conversation. He leaned forward.

"I need your help. I have to talk to the boss."

Luxord placed a finger over his mouth. He eyed some people to the right of them. Roxas followed his line of vision, noticing that they were beginning to stare.

"Not here," he whispered. "We should speak about this somewhere more...private. Do you fancy a drink? If you'd like, I'll pay for us both."

"...Sure, why not?" Roxas shrugged. "And, uh...that'd probably be best. I kinda used the last bit of my paycheck earlier."

"That bad, eh?" Luxord patted his shoulder. "No worries, Roxas. I have no qualms with assisting old friends."

"It's just a drink." Roxas looked down. "...And to clarify, I'm not going back. I'm gonna ask my question then leave."

"You made your point rather vividly the first time." Luxord chuckled at Roxas's questioning look. "Relax. I don't like to 'fight' as the others do. I prefer challenges involving our _wits._ To me, that sort of success is _far_ more rewarding than bruises and bloody knuckles."

Roxas smirked, the tension in his shoulders easing. "Yeah, I know. That's why I came to you first. I don't  _want_ a fight."

 Luxord nodded in understanding, smiling back.

"There's a bar two minutes from here on foot. Follow me."

"What about the casino? Who's gonna run the card games while you're gone?"

"Already taken care of." Luxord waved his hand dismissively. "The other dealers take over whenever I step out. My manager understands what I have to do."

"Oh. Okay." Roxas frowned a little at that last line. The only way the manager would be okay with his _second_  job is if he was yakuza too. Or simply didn't care that half of his staff were a bunch of thugs. But it made sense, considering it was _owned_ by their gang.

_You'll find crime anywhere, I guess..._ Roxas curved his mouth, a bit unsettled with the reality of the situation.

****

After a short, brisk walk, Roxas and Luxord entered the bar named "Minnie's Tavern". Roxas felt like he'd seen that name around before, but he had no time to think about it once he entered. He was shocked by all the neon lights and the occasional cutesy decoration here and there, while the customers all looked like they could break a person's neck with one thumb. There was even a framed painting of a yellow dog running through a field of flowers. Other than those peculiar details, it looked more or less like a regular, dimly lit bar. Luxord approached the counter and motioned for Roxas to join him. Roxas sat down on a stool, taking in the new surroundings.

"I don't remember seeing this place before."

"It's relatively new. Two years old, to be exact." Luxord clasped his hands together on the table. "I'm not surprised that you don't recognize it. After you left, I doubted you wanted to come around this area. I certainly wouldn't."

Roxas nodded. "Yeah."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, waiting for someone to come and ask what they wanted to drink. The workers seemed to be a little busy. Roxas decided to initiate some more conversation before it got too awkward.

"...So, they call you 'Luxord' now. Why the random _X_ in your name?"

Luxord sighed. "A lot has changed since you've been gone. If I told you everything, we'd be here all day. Perhaps we should wait until we go see the boss? He's much better at giving an abridged version of the story than I am."

"Alright. I guess there's no harm in waiting." Roxas looked down.

"Oh, Mr. Lourd!"

Luxord and Roxas turned their heads to see a short, feathery waitress running over to them. 

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Daisy." Luxord gave her a curt nod and grinned.

"I'm so sorry about the wait! We've been swamped with customers since this morning. It's died down a _little,_ at least." she pulled out a small notepad and a pen from the pocket in her dress.

"What can I get for you today? Oh, and for your friend here too." Daisy looked at Roxas, who smiled nervously.

"I'll have the usual. Scotch on the rocks, just how I like it," Luxord stated in a cool tone. "Roxas?"

 "Umm..." Roxas looked down at the menu on the counter. He hadn't heard of more than half of the alcoholic beverages on this list, which was embarrassing. His finger wavered above the list as he tried to make a choice. Luxord cleared his throat to get his attention.

"Might I suggest the sake or the sweet potato shochu? They aren't too high in alcoholic content, and I'm sure you don't want to get _completely_ drunk."

"Oh, the shochu would be a good choice!" Daisy chimed in. "It's very good if it's mixed in with tea or fruit juice."

"I'll have that, then." Roxas glanced up at her. "Is that okay?"

"Of course!" Daisy scribbled it down in her notepad. "Just give me a second to speak with the bartender, and your drinks should be ready in no time!"

"Much obliged, Daisy." Luxord smiled warmly. "By the way, is that a new dress? I don't believe I've seen you wear purple before."

Daisy looked down at her outfit. "Oh. Um. Yes, it is."

"You look rather ravishing." He winked. "Almost like a queen. Purple _is_ the color of royalty, after all."

Daisy laughed, raising a hand over her beak. "Oh Mr. Lourd, you're too much! I _do_ have a husband, you know."

"Alas, it appears I must pine for you from afar." Luxord threw his head back dramatically, placing his hand on his forehead. Daisy snorted, smacking him with his notepad as she walked past them to get behind the counter. Roxas quirked his eyebrow.

"...What was THAT?"

 Luxord patted his shoulder.

"Allow me to enlighten you, my young friend. In all my years in this city, I've learned that _flattery_ is the highest form of currency. If you say just the right things to people, you might end up with everything you've always wanted."

"I don't think I should take advice from a _yakuza."_ Roxas looked at him with amusement. "But thanks for the tip anyways."

"You are very wise for thinking that way." Luxord nodded in agreement. "It doesn't work for everyone, after all."

After a short while, Daisy returned with who Roxas could only assume to be the bartender. It was a tiny female mouse wearing a skirt and a tuxedo top. She helped Daisy serve the drinks to the other customers further down the row, until they finally reached Roxas and Luxord. The mouse smiled brightly at them.

"Scotch on the rocks and sweet potato shochu, right?"

"That is correct," Luxord purred. "Thank you very much.

She nodded, giving them a small curtsey. "Well, I hope you enjoy! And let me know what you think."

A thought suddenly came to Roxas as she started to leave.

"Oh wait! Miss, err..."

 She turned around with a surprised expression. "Minnie. I'm the owner of this bar, as well as the bartender. How can I help you?"

"Have you seen a guy around here with spiky black hair?" Roxas asked. "He was...on the news yesterday."

Luxord raised an eyebrow at him. Minnie tapped the side of her head, thinking about Roxas's question. Just before he came to terms with the fact that she knew nothing, Minnie gasped abruptly and her finger shot up.

"I have!"

"Wait, _seriously?"_ Roxas said in astonishment.

"Yes. It was about a month ago though, so I can't promise what I know is very helpful..."

Roxas shook his head. "Anything helps. Where did you run into him?" 

"Right here in this bar." Minnie placed one hand on the counter, suddenly looking a bit uneasy. 

"...I was honestly a little afraid at first. There was something about him that felt... _off_. One of my regulars was beaten up quite badly by him for no good reason, and I got too nervous to ask him to leave. So I decided to try and ask _after_ he'd had a few drinks. Some people tend to be more reasonable when they're drunk. IF they don't have a reason to get angry, at least."

Roxas lowered his eyes. "I'm guessing it didn't work."

"On the contrary." Minnie shook her head. "It worked a little _too_ well. He was a lightweight. Got drunk after only three shots of whisky, then ordered an entire bottle. I don't think he was used to drinking heavy, but _something_ pushed him to do it."

_"...Wow."_

"I know!" she threw her hands up. "And it only got stranger after that. I was used to hearing all sorts of long stories from our other patrons, but I certainly wasn't expecting _him_ to open up so easily. When he was done talking, he...well..." 

Minnie exchanged a glance with Daisy, who rubbed her arm and breathed out.

"Despite being absolutely terrifying at first, he started to _cry_ right in front of us."

Roxas couldn't believe what he was hearing. He simply looked at the two women with an expression of complete and utter bewilderment. 

"...Are you _sure_ you're telling me about the right guy? Black hair, yellow eyes, kinda scruffy, looks at you like he wants to put you in an early grave?"

"Yep, that was definitely him." Daisy crossed her arms.

"Did he ever tell you his name?"

Minnie furrowed her brows. "He was too drunk to say anything coherent at that point, but I think it started with a 'V'. You have to understand that he didn't just cry. He completely  _broke down_. I don't know how to put this, but...it was like he became a different person from the one who entered my bar."

Roxas sat back down. He took a sip of his drink, staring off into the distance. He didn't really know how to process the information they'd just given him.

"...Thanks for telling me." Roxas looked back at Minnie and smiled faintly. 

"You're welcome." Minnie fumbled with her fingers. "If I may ask, what sort of connection do you have with him?"

Roxas mulled over how he could answer her. He couldn't exactly tell them that he could die trying to take Vanitas to prison. Or that he was working with yakuza in order to find him. It was better if they didn't know, being civilians and all.

"He's....an old friend." Roxas settled with that lie. It wasn't entirely wrong.

"Oh, I see!" Minnie mused. "Are you trying to help him? Since on the news, they're calling him a serial killer and all..."

"...Yeah." He gave a slight nod. "That's it."

_Just let them believe whatever they want to believe_. Roxas took another swig of the shochu.

"This is really good, by the way."

"I'm glad you like it!" Minnie giggled. "Let me know when you're both ready to pay."

"Charge me for everything." Luxord raised his hand. "You can bring the tab now, love."

Minnie nodded. "Daisy, can you take over for me? There's more people coming in, so I'd better take their orders."

"I got it, Minnie." Daisy looked at Roxas and Luxord. "I'll be right back."

They watched as the small white duck went behind the counter again. Luxord glanced at Roxas with an unreadable expression.

"...So. The murderer is a 'friend' of yours?"

Roxas scratched his head. "I'll tell you more when we get to HQ."

"Here you go!"

The two men blinked as Daisy put the receipt on the counter. Luxord pulled out a pen from his shirt pocket and jotted down his signature. He placed a hand on his chin when he looked at the price.

"Hmm. Lower than I expected."

"Your drink was on the house." Daisy winked at him. "You're our best customer, so it's the least we could do."

Luxord grinned. "Thank you for your kindness."

Luxord paid for Roxas's drink with cash. Roxas gawked at him as Daisy left.

Luxord winked at him. "Told you it works." 

****

They left the bar a few minutes after, then walked the rest of the way to the headquarters of Roxas's old gang. From what he remembered, their numbers weren't very large. It was a small group that would sell illegal weapons or drugs to willing clients that were either nobodies...or the big dogs. Roxas was often in charge of dealing with the weapons. Despite having joined the gang with zero experience, he caught on pretty quickly to how it all worked.  Soon they reached the tall, white building that Roxas knew all too well. Luxord opened the door after inputting a number code next to it. As they walked inside and down the hall, they maintained a short conversation.

"So, how's the boss doing?"

Luxord glanced at him with a solemn expression.

"...Dead. We have a new boss now. Our previous lieutenant is in charge."

"WHAT?!" Roxas exclaimed. He covered his mouth, realizing how loud he was. "...Sorry. What happened?"

"Executed by a much larger group of yakuza than ours. A _syndicate,_ if you will. Shot right in between the eyes." Luxord lowered his head.

"...It...was not a good day."

"I'm so sorry." Roxas winced. 

"There was nothing we could have done. We didn't know they were coming. Now we are forced to operate under their men, doing their menial tasks. That's why I tend to work at the casino more often. At least there I feel more in control."

Roxas placed his hand on Luxord's shoulder. He suddenly scrunched up his nose.

"Wait. You said the lieutenant took over. Which would mean..."

Roxas's mouth opened a little.

"...No way."

"Oh, yes." Luxord smiled nervously as he opened the office door. Roxas's nose was overwhelmed by the pleasant yet powerful aroma of hundreds of different flowers, strewn across the walls and hanging in small, intricately designed pots. At the very end of the room, a tall, toned man with long pink hair that had it all tied back in a neat bun was tending to a pot of hydrangeas on his desk. He raised his head in surprise when he heard the door close. He looked between the two men in confusion.

"Luxord. May I ask what you're doing here with _Roxas,_ of all people? I thought he left us."

"I did." Roxas took a step forward. "I need to ask you something, Lauriam. Just tell me what I need to know, then I'll leave and never come back."

Lauriam freed his hair from the bun. It cascaded down onto his shoulders, the sunlight from the window giving it almost an ethereal glow. He met Roxas's gaze with a small frown.

"It's _Marluxia_ now." He spoke with a somewhat bitter tone. "... I really should just kick you out for intruding in a place where you are no longer welcome."

His eyes softened.

"...But since you were one of our best, and Luxord seems to trust you...I will give you _one_ chance to talk. If I don't like what you're saying, you leave. What do you want to know?"

Roxas took a deep breath.

"Do you know a yakuza that goes by the name 'Vanitas'?"

Marluxia quirked his eyebrow. "...Suppose I do. Why do you ask?"

"Because he was the reason why me and my family were hospitalized." Roxas grimaced.

"...." Marluxia breathed out sharply, closing his eyes.

"...My condolences to Ventus and your sister. How are they?"

"They'll be fine." Roxas bit his lip. "...They're a little...upset. They think I want to join you guys again, which I really don't. I just need information that the cops don't have about that creep."

"'The Shadow'...." Marluxia sat down in his chair, inspecting a rose that was on the opposite side of his desk. "Truly an enigma among the yakuza. No clan knows much about him, aside from the one he works for. I believe he has a high-ranking position within his clan. It would explain how he gets away with all those murders without any negative repercussions."

"The...Shadow?" Roxas tilted his head, then suddenly straightened his posture as he realized something.

"Oh. Is that a nickname he goes by? I know plenty of us had our own nicknames, like you being the 'Graceful Assassin' and all...."

"Nice work figuring out the obvious, Sherlock."

Roxas turned his head to see an annoyingly familiar blonde enter the room. She closed the door behind her with a cocky grin.

"Oh, Roxas. You came crawling back to us, just like I thought you would." she giggled. "Got tired of _surviving_ rather than _living?_ Or maybe you got tired of trying to play the saint like your naive twin brother? As cute as he is, his lack of common sense and his unwavering belief that all people are good leaves a lot to be desired."

_"Larxene...."_ Marluxia's voice rose a little. "What did we talk about this morning?"

She groaned loudly, crossing her arms.

"...That I should stop being so mean?"

"Not the word I used, but close enough." Marluxia smirked, making Larxene roll her eyes at him. 

"I'm not staying." Roxas scowled. "And it's none of your business, _'Larxene'._ Go bother someone else for a change."

"Well, too bad." Larxene sat down in a chair pressed against the wall. She casually crossed her legs.

"I'm Marluxia's right-hand woman, so I can stay and listen unless he says otherwise. Don't worry! I won't make a fuss. You all just get to bask in my presence for a while." 

"Great." Roxas's tone was unenthused. "Does she _have_ to be here?"

_"Yes,_ actually." Marluxia sighed. "I know you aren't on very good terms with each other, but Larxene does have some useful intel on your guy. Isn't that right?"

Larxene smiled. "Yep. I was 'invited' to dance with him, after all. Don't you remember that?"

"...Yeah. Unfortunately."

Larxene's lips curled into a snarl. "You could at least _try_ to be nice."

"You weren't being nice in the first place, so why should I?" Roxas raised both of his eyebrows, giving her a challenging look.

"UGH. Whatever. Just listen and keep your mouth shut."

Larxene cleared her throat, waiting for the men to turn their attention to her. Once they did, she sat up straight.

"...We made some small talk before we got to the club. For starters, he thinks 'The Shadow' is a stupid nickname too. Apparently a bunch of paranoid, superstitious cowards came up with it, thinking he was some sort of demon. The yakuza caught wind of the civilians' rumors and it stuck. I only addressed him by it because I didn't know his real name, which I'm surprised he gave to me so easily." 

She scoffed. "For a guy who's supposed to be invisible to the public eye, he sure doesn't seem to care about getting attention or revealing personal information. Or it could've been intentional and I'm just not seeing the bigger picture. Who knows."

"Anything else?" Roxas asked. "...Preferably more helpful than that?"

_"I'm getting to it."_ Larxene glared at him, then continued.

"The clan he's working for is the same one that took over ours. The _Kuroihebi,_ run by a man named Xehanort."

"Xehanort...." Roxas looked down. "Why...do I feel like I've heard that name before?"

"He runs the largest criminal operation in this city." Marluxia leaned forward. "You most likely heard about him on the streets. Anyone who is or was yakuza knows about him."

"If you thought Vanitas was bad, the last person you ever want to run into is Xehanort." There was visible discomfort in Larxene's expression. 

"I don't usually point fingers, but...it was probably Xehanort's fault that 'The Shadow' exists at all. And even if it wasn't his doing, he sure as hell made it _worse."_

 Roxas gritted his teeth. "Then...was he the one who killed our-I mean, _your_ boss?"

Marluxia nodded sadly. He took the rose out of the long, thin vase it was in and sniffed it. Roxas vaguely remembered that Lauriam would use flowers to brighten his occasional sour moods. 

"I always warned him to lift up that hat of his. He could never see much past it. In the end, he remained blind to the truth. Trying to oppose and reason with men that never would have listened. He was out of his depth."

Marluxia placed the rose back in its vase.

"But that is in the past now. After our leader was lost, we were forced to change our names.To rearrange them and add an 'X' as a sign that he _owns_ us. We can't disband because he won't let us. Any of our clan members who try are killed. He wants to have us under his thumb and use us for the benefit of his own clan."

"...We have families we cannot see for days on end. Friends we can no longer contact for assistance after being murdered for conspiring with us. Many of them going into hiding to escape Xehanort's wrath. We're sitting ducks here, and there's nothing we can _do_ about it. He's going to take over the _entire city_ at this rate." Marluxia slammed his fist on the table.

"Hey, take it easy." Luxord patted Marluxia's shoulder. The boss rubbed his eyes.

The whole time, Roxas could feel himself heating up. He was angry. Angry at all the injustice they were forced to endure. He may not have been yakuza anymore, but he empathized with them. He knew what it was like to feel like you weren't safe, no matter what you did or where you went. Neither he nor his friends and family were safe, either. The message Terra had relayed to them from Vanitas had made it abundantly clear:

_**"I'll be watching you."** _

Roxas marched towards Marluxia's desk. The boss lowered his hand and stared back with a tired look in his eyes.

"I'm going to help you. Stopping Vanitas could be the first step to taking Xehanort down. If he's really as important as you say, losing such a high-status member of the clan could be a big blow to its stability."

Marluxia tapped his fingers.

"...You _are_ a civilian now, so you can work easily under the radar unlike us. It would be dangerous, and you would have to go at it alone....but there is a slim chance of success. I'm assuming you're going to take that risk, given your track record with this sort of thing."

Roxas gave a firm nod. "I'm not backing out of this. Something needs to be done."

Marluxia chuckled. He rose up from his chair.

"I admire your resolve, as reckless as it may be. In that case, I'll send Larxene to the storage room. You'll need at least one weapon to defend yourself."

"...Won't you get in trouble?" Roxas said worriedly. "What if Xehanort's men see me when I leave? And even if they don't, how are you gonna hide that there's a missing gun from the inventory?"

Marluxia shook his head. "I can deal with both those things easily. It's the least I could do after everything you and your family have done for me."

"...Some of Xehanort's men may be leaving this building soon. Once Larxene returns, follow those men as quietly as you can to reach their hideout."

"Thank you." Roxas bowed his head. "I...hope everything works out for you _._ Andyour sister, too."

A small trace of a pained smile lingered on Marluxia's mouth.

"Thanks to you, it may very well be a possibility."

****

"Here you go. A revolver should be inconspicuous enough." Larxene tossed the gun to Roxas, who fumbled with it for a second to avoid letting it slip from his hands. He frowned at her once he got a good grip on the weapon.

"I could've shot you guys!"

_"Relax._ It was empty." she handed him a small, plastic container without throwing it this time, as well as a gun carrier that he could attach onto his pants.

"The bullets are inside. Be careful; I only put 15 in there. Make them count."

"I will. I'll only use this for emergencies." Roxas put on the carrier and tucked the gun inside of it. His jacket was long enough to cover the weapon, side bulge and all. For the first time in the few years he'd spent as a regular citizen, he finally felt like he had some control over his own life. Maybe even his _destiny,_ but that was getting a little too ambitious too soon.

"Oh, Roxas? One more thing."

He glanced over at Marluxia.

"...When you find Vanitas, give him hell for me. For Strelitzia. That monster deserves everything that's coming to him."

Roxas gave him a thumbs up.

"You got it."

The three yakuza members watched as the ex-yakuza left the office. No one was around in the hallway, so he went out the front door with no trouble at all. Luxord closed his eyes for a moment.

_...Let us hope that the odds remain in your favor, Roxas._

**_****_**

_"So. You're my 'brother'."_

_Vanitas stared at the picture he'd been given by Xehanort, who had gotten it from Eraqus as a part of the old man's birthday gift. Despite being from opposing clans (and they weren't on speaking terms anymore after what he did to that dumb girl), they were still close enough to celebrate each other's birthdays. The boy in the center was a spitting image of him. He saw that girl named 'Kairi' again, standing next to his brother. He didn't recognize the other boy on the opposite side of his twin, but they were all smiling with their arms wrapped around his shoulders. For some reason, just seeing them so close and intimate around each other made him irrationally angry. Vanitas ripped the two strangers out of the photo, feeling a twinge of satisfaction as he did so._

_All that was left was his twin now. He didn't really know what to think of him yet. But it did make him feel a little less alone on this dirtpile of a planet he was supposed to call 'home'. Vanitas lied down on his rickety bed, glaring at the picture. The interior springs tended to dig into his back since the mattress was so thin. Not that it bothered him, per se; his bed was way more uncomfortable in the asylum. In the last orphanage he'd been in, he didn't even HAVE one. What he had now was better than nothing._

_"...I wonder what you're like." Vanitas shut his eyes. He dropped the picture on his face and blew at it. "Maybe...we aren't all that different. Maybe you know about me too."_

_****_

**_Pain._ **

_He gritted his teeth and dug his fingers into the bed. They'd completely clobbered him during his training. It was mainly Xigbar's doing. Guess he hadn't forgotten that he was one eyeball short because of him. He...probably shouldn't have reminded him. It felt like one of his ribs was broken. The blood that came out of his nose made him all feverish and twitchy. He couldn't handle seeing it without feeling more pain on the inside, remembering all the horrors he'd seen and experienced personally in the asylum._ _Xehanort brushed him off and told him to 'keep working harder'. That they wouldn't baby him just because he was smaller than them. They ran a business; an **illegal** business, and all of them had to work hard if they ever wanted to make it in this city. If they slacked off for even a second, they would be thrown away. Discarded._

_...He refused to give up. He wouldn't let them kick him out. It sucked being here, but it was better than trying to survive outside. He was still too weak to go off on his own. He wouldn't last a day out there._

_Vanitas forced himself to sit up, moaning. He had to get to the infirmary. But first...he wanted to look at his brother again. It was one of the few things that kept him going, aside from his hatred and desire for revenge. He pulled out the picture from under his mattress._

_"I wish you were here." Vanitas set the picture down, rubbing his bruised arms. "I don't wanna be alone."_

_He bit his lip._

_"...Or I...I could go and look for you myself."_

_****_

  _Vanitas approached the building he'd been searching for on the web. This had to be it. The school his brother was in alongside his friends. He gasped when he heard a loud, ringing noise, then saw students coming out of the building. He dived into a bush to avoid them._

_Children of many shapes and sizes passed by his hiding spot. He'd almost forgotten what it was like to see so many people his age in one place, after all those years of being alone and isolated. Vanitas held his breath when he caught sight of that familar red hair, burning bright like fire in the sunlight. The other kid with silver hair popped out of the school entrance behind her, giving someone under his arm a noogie. The boy being held by the silver-haired one freed himself and shoved his friend playfully._

_And there he was. His twin. Vanitas suddenly felt afraid and started backing away. He wasn't ready to meet him, much less TALK to him. Not yet. All of the shouting voices of schoolchildren were starting to make his head hurt as well. It was all too much._

_He stopped when two adults approached the trio of friends. He didn't recognize them, but his twin ran to the couple and hugged them tightly. That was when he realized: those were their **parents**. They embraced their supposedly only son and their mother gave him an affectionate kiss on the cheek. His twin rubbed it off, blushing as his friends started to laugh. Vanitas watched them numbly, unable to react to the kindness they showed his brother. His father patted him on the shoulder, then the two friends waved goodbye as the small family headed to their car. They drove off, and his twin's friends left shortly after._

_Vanitas felt tears start to fall from his eyes. He rubbed them off, but they wouldn't stop. He sniffed and sprung out from the bush, then ran back to the yakuza headquarters._

_****_

**_They never loved me._ **

**_They love HIM. Just HIM. It's not fair. It's not fair..._ **

_Vanitas looked at his face in the mirror. His eyes were still red and puffy from crying. The mirror was one of the few things that belonged to him, along with the small room he'd been given. He had almost **nothing,**  while his brother had **everything** he'd always wanted...._

_He noticed a few strands of his natural brown hair sticking out from all the black. Not even bothering to put on gloves, he swiped up the bottle of hair dye and started pouring it on all those areas. He didn't want to see even a semblance of that color on his head. He wanted it pitch black to the point that it was completely unrecognizable. His breathing got shaky as he dug his hands into his hair, making the most of what little dye he had left. When he stopped, he saw one annoying strand that still had blonde highlights. He tried to pour some more dye on his hands, but he'd used every last drop. He gritted his teeth._

**_No. No. NO. NO!!!_ **

_Vanitas let out a blood curdling scream, then_ _punched the mirror. It shattered all over his fist, puncturing his skin. When he retracted his arm, there was a hole straight through the spot in the mirror that he'd struck. Blood was dripping from his clenched hand and glass pieces were sticking out of it._

_...At least he couldn't see himself too well anymore._

_He clutched his injury, feeling a bit of queasiness from seeing the blood again. But the euphoria of letting out his anger on the inanimate object seemed to cancel it out. He found blood didn't bother him as much as long as something (or some **one** ) else was on the receiving end._

**_...Why? Why did they leave me? What makes HIM so special compared to me?_ **

_Vanitas plucked out the glass pieces one by one, his face void of emotion. The only thing he felt was the pain. It was starting to feel like an old friend, considering it was the only constant in his miserable life._

_It was then that he made a silent vow to himself. One that he would never, **ever** change his mind about. _

_**...If I can't be happy, NO ONE can. That includes YOU, brother.** _

_****_

 Riku's fingers dug into the car seat as Kairi barreled down the street at full speed. The engine sounded like it was going to explode from how loud it was, protesting as Kairi pushed it to its limits.

"Kairi, _slow down!"_

"I _won't!"_ She spun the wheel to turn to the street on the left. The tires screeched and they felt the car tilt ever so slightly. She narrowly avoided crashing into a woman with split white and black hair, who yelled at them to stop hogging the road.

Riku wanted to roll down the window and hurl. He knew nothing would come out, though; he hadn't eaten since last night. He was too worried, and what happened this morning didn't make him feel any better. He should've known Sora better than anyone, aside from Kairi. He should've sensed that something was off when he passed by him. He should've stopped that psychopath from leaving a head at Kairi's desk as a threat, then having the _gaul_ to show up again and kiss her after tormenting her. He was terrified to find out what he'd done to the _real_ Sora. 

Kairi hit the brakes once they were in front of Sora's house. Had they not been wearing seatbealts, they both would've flown out the window. They opened their car doors simultaneously and sprinted towards the front door. Kairi knocked hard on the door, but there was no answer. Breathing in shakily, she grabbed the doorknob and tried turning it. 

The door was unlocked. Kairi and Riku gasped when they saw their best friend lying on the ground.

_"Sora!!!"_

Riku kneeled and turned Sora's body around. He pressed two of his fingers on Sora's neck to see if there was a pulse.

"...He's still alive," Riku said with relief in his tone. He noticed the rise and fall of his friend's chest. It almost looked like he was just asleep, but they couldn't say for sure yet.

"Sora, can you hear me?" Kairi crouched down next to Riku. She gently slapped Sora's cheek to see if he would react. Nothing.

"He's out cold." Riku placed a hand on his chin. "We can't know his condition for sure until he wakes up. What should we do?"

Kairi's eyes darted from side to side as she debated what to do in her head. She then stood up and went to the kitchen. Riku raised an eyebrow when he heard the faucet turn on.

"Kairi, what are you doing?"

She came back from the kitchen holding a cup with cold water. Kairi got close to Sora again with a intense gleam in her eyes.

"What you said gave me an idea." Kairi dumped the water on Sora's face. He eyes snapped open and he shot up from the ground, sputtering and shivering from the shock of cold that had just blasted him in the face. 

Sora looked at his friends in confusion. _"What the heck did you do THAT for?!?"_

He jumped when Riku and Kairi suddenly tackled him with a hug. Despite not understanding what was going on, he wrapped his arms around them.

"Umm...are you guys okay?"

Kairi pulled back, tears welling up in her eyes. She shook her head. Riku awkwardly let go of Sora and patted his shoulder with a sympathetic look. Sora's eyebrows creased, already sensing that something was very wrong.

"What happened?"

"That's what we wanted to ask you." Riku pointed at Sora's neck. He reached up and felt a tiny hole on the side. His eyes widened.

"...Oh."

"The person who did that to you..." Kairi pressed her hands onto her lap. "...Was it Vanitas?"

Sora nodded, rubbing the small area. He rehearsed some of yesterday's events in his head to make sure he hadn't just imagined it. It was hazy, but the memories were still there. He kind of wished that they weren't. But at least he had finally met him. His...'brother'. His parents' _killer._ He still had too many mixed feelings about it. 

"...We talked." Sora frowned. "He caught me off guard twice, but I did manage to beat him in a fight. I'm guessing he left after I passed out, but...I don't know for how long he stayed when I did."

"He...made me uncomfortable. It was like he was trying to _bond_ with me in his own twisted way."

"Did he hurt you?" Kairi asked softly.

"No." Sora shook his head. "Like I said, I took him down. I don't think he expected me to be much of a fighter. That was probably my only advantage, though. Now that he knows what he's dealing with...I might be in trouble."

"What do you mean?" Riku narrowed his eyes.

"From what I remember, I don't think he's finished messing with me yet." Sora lowered his head. "...I know he wants something from me. I just don't think I can do it."

Riku leaned forward. "What do you think he wants?"

Sora raised his head, looking at Riku and Kairi with a grave expression.

"...I think....he wants me to be his _friend."_

Riku and Kairi gawked at him.

"Yeah, I know it sounds crazy." Sora sighed. "But I could see it in his eyes. He's _lonely._ It doesn't take a genius to figure out that he doesn't want to be anymore. So he's probably gonna try to make me accept him, no matter what it takes. But I...." 

He sucked in a breath. 

"I can't forgive him. I really can't. You guys know me. I'm willing to forgive a LOT of things, but this...isn't one of them. Sometimes you just have to accept that there's a limit to what you can tolerate from other people. _Especially_ the bad ones."

Riku smirked. "That's one of the most mature things I've ever heard you say."

"You really think so?" Sora shrugged. "...I dunno. I just said what was on my mind and in my heart."

"You're being honest with yourself, which is a good thing." Kairi smiled brightly at him, then stood back up.

"Come on. Let's head back to the office. We should run some tests to see what exactly you were injected with."

She bent forward, extending her hand towards him. Sora took it and got up from the ground. His legs wobbled and his vision went blurry for a second. Riku stayed close in case he fell over or fainted.

_"Whoa."_  Sora blinked hard, attempting to refocus. "I guess I...was stuck in a weird position on the floor for too long...? I still feel kinda dizzy."

Riku and Kairi exchanged a worried glance. Kairi held onto Sora's hand tightly as they proceeded to exit his house. Riku picked up Sora's keys just before closing the door, and he locked it for a bit more security. Not that it would do much good. Riku's eyes hardened at that thought. He slowed his pace until he was walking behind Sora and Kairi, remaining vigilant of everything around them.

_No matter what happens, I'll do my best to keep you two safe._


	8. Betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay in writing this chapter! I was very busy these past few weeks because of college summer classes (which are NOT fun when you rush through everything ugh). And afterwards, I was very tired. Still kinda am. But it won't stop me from pressing on!
> 
> As you all noticed, I've integrated some substories into this AU. They're a lot like the ones you would see in the 'Yakuza' series. These won't be super important to the plot, but it is a lot of fun making them! They should do a good job balancing out the darker main story. I'll be adding another before I put up chapter 9, as I did with this one.
> 
> So without further ado, enjoy!
> 
> (P.S.: You get one. I am not usually a romantic. I tend to make this sort of thing more subtle, if I even decide to include it in the first place. You'll get what I mean by the end.)

_Every person must make a choice._

_Some choices are more dangerous than others, making you wonder if the risk was even worth it._

_But I don't see it that way._

_Danger is part of the **challenge.** It is an integral part of life, as inevitable as death. As untimely as it may be, the future has already been set in stone._

_The sooner I accepted that, the easier it became._

_Every step I take leads me to closer to my destiny. And I, for one, cannot wait to see it._

A young man gazed at the sea, admiring the view. It was breathtaking from where he stood, the waves rippling against the white, sandy shore. The sun beat down on his tan skin, the light reflecting off of his silver-gold eyes. He smiled a little as he took it all in.

And yet...to him, it was just

too

_small._

"Xehanort!"

The man turned his head to see his best friend running towards him. Not only that; they were also brothers in arms in the yakuza clan they had recently been accepted in. They always stuck together, despite the many things they didn't have in common.

One of the biggest differences was how they felt about love. Xehanort had no room for it in his heart; there was simply too much he wanted to do in his short lifetime that didn't involve settling down. His brother, on the other hand, had fallen head over heels for a radiant young woman he met back in college. Who, sadly, passed away about a month ago giving birth to their child. He wasn't quite sure what had gone wrong with the procedure, but his friend remained hesitant to talk about it. The wound would heal soon enough. He would make sure of that.

"Xehanort..." his friend skidded to a halt, sending a few grains of sand flying. Xehanort raised an eyebrow.

"You look exhausted, Eraqus. Have you been getting any sleep?"

Eraqus shook his head. "It's not my fault. She needs me. I have to get up whenever she starts crying."

Right on cue, the two men heard wailing from inside the tiny island hut that Eraqus called home. His entire body seemed to droop, as if he were on the verge of collapsing. 

"I've...got to go check on her." Eraqus rubbed his sunken eyes. "Please, make yourself at home while I go see what's bothering her."

"...Right."

Xehanort followed Eraqus to his house. Once inside, he sat down in a nearby wooden chair. It creaked loudly under the weight of Xehanort sitting on it, seemingly on its last legs. He looked around to see that the paint on the walls was peeling off, the sink of the kitchen was filled to the brim with dirty plates and silverware, and the rest of the furniture was in complete disarray and caked with dust from lack of cleaning. Eraqus needed a _serious_ home makeover. This was just sad. 

A few minutes later, Eraqus came out of the spare room with a baby in his arms. It was a girl, with teeny tiny strands of red hair on her scalp. Just like her mother. Her eyes were closed as she sucked on her thumb, nuzzling her father's chest.

_"This_ is the creature that's been running you ragged?" Xehanort smirked. "How disappointing. I was expecting something more nightmarish."

Eraqus chuckled, looking slightly more energized from his friend's joke. 

"Looks can be deceiving. It's absolute chaos when I can't get her to calm down."

"Have you tried stimulating her with toys? Or at least talking to her? I think I read somewhere that that helps with month-old babies."

"I've done that, and plenty more." Eraqus sighed. "It's not enough. I leave Kairi alone for  _one_ second to rest and she starts freaking out."

Xehanort hummed. "...She must care deeply for you. But you should try to establish that you can't be with her at all times."

"She won't understand that at this age. She needs constant attention."

Xehanort looked between Eraqus and the baby. She opened her eyes for a moment and stared at him with those ocean blue eyes. Also like her mother. Xehanort smiled a little, then patted his friend's shoulder.

"Alright. Give her to me. I'll look after her while you take a nap."

Eraqus's eyes widened. "You mean it?"

"You're my best friend. I can handle her for a couple of hours."

Eraqus smiled brightly at him. 

"Thank you."

Eraqus cautiously handed his daughter over to Xehanort. she whined a little at first, making grabby motions with her hands at Eraqus. Xehanort shushed her, gently bouncing her up and down.

"You're a natural," Eraqus said, mildly astonished.

"...Remember to keep her head elevated. Don't let her fall or bump into anything. Oh, and please feed her in half an hour. There's a milk formula in the pantry. If you want to play with her afterwards, make sure it's on something solid like the floor."

Xehanort looked down at the wooden planks, which were borderline filthy. He scrunched up his nose.

"...I'll do the table. Or her room. _Please_ tell me her room is cleaner than the rest of this house."

"I clean it every day. It's the only room I ever have the energy to do..." Eraqus yawned. 

Xehanort nudged him. "Go to bed, damn it. Seeing you like this is making _me_ tired."

Eraqus nodded, teetering back and forth a bit. He dragged himself to his room without another word. Xehanort looked back down at the girl, who gurgled and cooed at him.

"...Kairi, was it?" he grinned. "I feel like this isn't the last time we'll meet."

****

  _Tick, tock, goes the clock._

A tennis ball hit the door, then bounced back in the opposite direction. A gloved hand caught it, then threw it yet again. This had gone on for several hours as he tried to find a way to entertain himself. It really was dull being at the top of the food chain, sometimes. At least he wouldn't be for long.

_In a minute, my student will knock._

Just as he predicted, there was a knock on the door. He swiped the tennis ball from the air one last time and stored it in his cabinet of funny nick knacks. He was going to miss wasting time like this. But not too much.

"Come in~!" he said in a lighthearted tone. Xehanort opened the door and stepped inside.

"You wished to see me, Master?" he bowed.

"Aw come on, quit with all those formalities." the master waved his hand dismissively. "You can call me by my name, you know."

Xehanort went rigid, raising his head to look at him in confusion.

"I...I'm not comfortable with doing that, Master. You're the patriarch of the Akuma clan. It's not proper."

"Patriarch, _shmatriach._ You have _got_ to lighten up a little!" the master lied back in his chair, crossing his legs as he put them on his desk. He comfortably placed his arms behind his neck.

"I practically _raised_ you and Eraqus, kiddo. I transformed you into the men you are today. The least you could do is indulge me in a little informality."

Xehanort stood up straight, rubbing his arm awkwardly.

"You...never told us your name."

"Oh yeeeahh..." the master cocked his head to the right. "I did forget to tell you guys, didn't I? My bad."

There was a twinkle in his eyes as he met Xehanort's hard gaze.

"How about...calling me 'MoM'? That has a nice ring to it."

Xehanort tensed up. "I'm not calling you that. It's uncomfortable."

"How about 'daddy', then?"

_"Absolutely not."_

"Yeesh, you sure are making this tough." the master laughed heartily.

"Would you settle for 'M-chan'?"

Xehanort grunted. "...Let's go with 'M- _sama'. And that's still not a name."_

"You drive a hard bargain, Xehanort. But I'll take it!" the master gave him a thumbs up, clearly ignoring the rest of what he said. Xehanort rolled his eyes.

"...Is that all?"

"Yes, I only called you in so I could hear you say 'daddy'," the master stated sarcastically. "Of course not! It's for something _super_ important. Involving the fate of the clan and all that."

"I'm listening." Xehanort crossed his arms.

The master motioned for him to get closer. Xehanort leaned forward, turning his head to the side as the master whispered in his ear.

"...I'm quitting."

_"WHAT?!?"_ Xehanort shouted. The master immediately covered his mouth.

"SHHHH!!!" the master looked past Xehanort to see if anyone was near the office door. Nothing was there.

"What, you wanna drop a bomb like that to everyone else so soon?!?" the master tutted at him. "You should know better. Everything spoken in this office must be kept a _secret."_

Xehanort pulled off the master's hands.

_"Why?"_ he hissed in a much quieter tone. _"Why would you ever want to quit???"_

"Because it's _boring!"_ the master groaned. "I gotta sit in this office filing papers and junk, day in and day out. Back when we were starting out, I got to do whatever I wanted. Now my position as leader is nothing but a joke, and I'm sick of it. I wanna do my own thing again."

Xehanort clenched his hands.

"You have...so much power. No one can lay a finger on you. You never have to worry about how much food is on your plate. You have the means to annihilate or take control of an entire neighborhood-no, entire _city blocks_ -if you felt like it. And you're telling me that you would give that all up on a _whim???"_

The master shrugged. "Yep."

Xehanort shook his head in disbelief.

"...What about us? What are we supposed to do now? How can this clan function without a _leader???"_ Xehanort slammed his hands on the master's desk.

The master quirked his eyebrow.

"Why do you think you're here?"

Xehanort looked down, processing the master's words. He gasped when he realized what he meant.

"That's right. I'm putting _you_ in charge, Xehanort. Though you are a liiiitle too ambitious for your own good sometimes, just hearing how passionate you are about this and everything else I've seen you do...it gives me faith. Faith that _you_ can steer this crime biz in the right direction. Maybe even better than I could."

"But I..." Xehanort lowered his head. "I'm not even a lieutenant. I'm nothing but a lowly gang member. Why would you choose me over them?"

"Because unlike my lieutenants, I can _trust_ you." the master got up and patted Xehanort's shoulder. "While they continuously plot to overthrow me behind my back, you've been loyal from the very beginning. Plus, let's face it: you've got more guts than any of 'em. The only reason why they haven't offed me yet is because they're afraid of me."

Xehanort raised his head indignantly. "I'm not afraid."

"I know you aren't. That's why you're perfect for the job. And if you ever felt so inclined as to...put them in their place when I step down? I wouldn't be against that."

"Believe me. They'll be worse off when _I'm_ finished with them." Xehanort cracked his knuckles.

"Glad to hear it!" the master clapped his hands. "In that case, congrats! Once I leave this building, you're officially in charge! Got my blessing and all that jazz. I'll even make an announcement on my way out."

The master put his arms behind his back.

"...There is one teensy-weensy, itty-bitty catch to all this, though."

Xehanort gave him a worried look. "Which is?"

"See, that's the thing." the master started pacing back and forth. "You aren't the only one I've been keeping a close eye on. Your bro, Eraqus, is just as skilled as you. If not better. And seeing how I can't put _two_ patriarchs in charge of the same clan, I held off on telling either of you right away because of how problematic it was."

"So here's my idea!" his finger shot up. "Instead of making you two fight over who owns the clan, I thought...'why not just split it in half'?"

"...What?"

"Try to keep up! This isn't that hard to grasp." the master pressed his hands together.

"What I'm suggesting is simple. All we have to do to settle this is, as I like to say it..." the master dramatically pulled his hands apart. "...By _cleaving_  the clan. And boom! Problem solved. You both get what you want."

 "Eraqus..." Xehanort frowned. "...Did he already know about this?"

The master bobbed his head. "Told him about this a few days ago. He took the news surprisingly well. But what baffled me was his answer."

"What was it?"

The master stopped pacing for a moment. 

"Well, he...declined. The first reason being that he didn't want to be in clan separate from yours. And the second? Said he had to look after his dearly departed sweetheart's baby. Poor kid looks so tired nowadays."

"Declined." Xehanort gritted his teeth. "Of course he did. He never sees the bigger picture. He could pay for all the baby supplies _tenfold_ if he was a patriarch..."

Xehanort shut his eyes.

"...Master, allow me to speak with him. Don't give up on him just yet. Perhaps I can change his mind."

"You'd better make it quick." The master stretched his arms. "I don't wanna wait for much longer than I have to. As a matter of fact, why don't you go right now?"

Xehanort opened his mouth to object, but was cut off by the master raising his hand.

"I know what you're gonna say. 'But master, I have to work!'. Relax. You get a break from your night job to reason with Eraqus. If anyone questions you, just tell 'em it was the boss's orders. Now go."

Xehanort nodded silently, then turned around and left the master's office. The master reached up for the slitted glass eye buttoned into the center of his collar and smiled, fiddling with it.

_Let's see how this turns out for you, boys._

****

Eraqus rocked Kairi back and forth in his arms, humming a small tune that his wife used to sing to their baby. It always reminded him of the sea. Kairi's eyes drooped as the calming melody lulled her to sleep. As soon as her breathing slowed, Eraqus set her down gently in the cradle. He rested his arms on the edge of it, gazing down at her with a faint smile.

_"Ahem."_

Eraqus spun his head around. His best friend was resting his shoulder on the edge of the door.

"Xehanort?" he tilted his head. "What are you doing here at this hour? It's almost midnight."

"We need to talk."

Xehanort took a step aside from the entrance to the baby's room. He motioned for Eraqus to join him. He complied, taking one last look at Kairi before shutting the door. Eraqus followed his friend into the living room with uncertainty. This sudden intrusion was strange, even by Xehanort's standards. 

"What's this about?" Eraqus asked. 

Xehanort placed his arm on the wall, looking out the window. The moonlight was shimmering on the seashore.

"It's the master. He told me that he wanted to make me the new patriarch. As well as _you."_

Eraqus's expression fell.

"...Ah. That."

Eraqus took a few steps into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Xehanort observed him from the corner of his eye. 

"...I can't accept. I won't have any time to be there for Kairi if I say yes. The work I do for the clan now is enough." Eraqus rubbed his temple.

"You're missing the point." Xehanort narrowed his eyes. "Can you imagine what you could do with all those resources at your fingertips? To have the ability to choose what _others_ should do, rather than be ordered around _by_ them? All you're getting to support yourself right now are _scraps,_ because you're at the bottom of the food chain. We both are."

Eraqus shook his head. "You don't understand. To become the patriarch would mean that I must fully devote myself to the clan and nothing else. I can't do that to her. She needs a FATHER, not a boss."

_"How are you supposed to be her father if you can't even take care of YOURSELF?!?"_ Xehanort punched the wall, making the entire house rattle. 

They both heard whining come from the baby's room. They listened tensely until her voice quieted down, then went silent. Eraqus sighed.

"...Please, don't be so loud. You'll wake her up."

Xehanort closed his hands into fists. 

"I only want what's best for you. And your baby, obviously. Just _think_ about it for a minute. Even if your time with her may be strained, you'll be able to help her with anything she needs."

"I know that." Eraqus closed his eyes. "...But...is this really the right way to go about it? Will she be happy?"

Xehanort shook his head. "Patriarch or not, you're still yakuza. A criminal in the eyes of the law. There's no way to know for sure how things will pan out for you and your daughter. But as her father, you should accept any opportunities that come your way to make her-and YOUR-life better. As a bonus, you'll finally become the leader I know you have the potential to be. And so will I."

Eraqus scratched his head. "I don't know...this all seems to be happening too fast. We've only been in the clan for two years. And now the master wants to drop it all and split it between _us?_ A couple of kids who barely know what they're doing?"

Xehanort shrugged. "First of all, we're not kids. Secondly, it's _his_ decision. Not ours."

"It's  _suspicious."_ Eraqus frowned at him. "He's planning something. I know he is. He's devious like that. 

"No, you're just being too paranoid." Xehanort scoffed. "And what if he is devious? You have to be that way when you're a yakuza. Did you forget all of his teachings?"

"Of course not. But it still doesn't feel right."

Eraqus's intense gaze softened.

"...Another thing. You seem pretty on board with accepting the master's plan, even though it will in fact separate us. We won't be brothers in the same family anymore. Do you truly desire power more than your friendship with me?"

Xehanort felt a lump form in his throat.

"You really think I don't value you just because I want my own clan? That's harsh. I can have _both,_ Eraqus. As a patriarch, there's nothing I wouldn't be able to achieve."

Eraqus chuckled humorlessly. "Still so ambitious. I'm worried that one day, it will be the cause of your downfall."

"Hey, have some faith in me. The master does, so you should too."

"Kind of hard to when you leap headfirst into danger _all the time._ The lieutenants and their supporters could kill you before you even get the chance to become their superior. Either you're incredibly stupid, or you just like playing the daredevil."

The two men looked at each other in tense silence. After a while, Xehanort started to snicker. Eraqus joined him until they devolved into boisterous laughter together, tearing up a bit. They quickly calmed down to ensure that Kairi wouldn't wake up. Smiling faintly, Eraqus got up from the table. He took a deep breath.

"...You really think I should do this? Make my own clan from the half the master gives me?"

Xehanort nodded vigorously. "It'll work out. I'm sure of it."

Eraqus looked down. 

"Then promise me. Promise me we'll still be friends, no matter what happens."

"Hey." Xehanort placed his hand on Eraqus's shoulder. "We took an oath when we joined the yakuza, remember? An oath to be loyal to the clan and each other as bros. Separate or not, that oath stays."

"...And besides. We've been friends ever since we were kids, _way_ before the master took us in. Why the hell would that change now? This is nothing compared to what we went through in the past. Look at this as something positive."

Eraqus smirked, shaking his head.

"...With a speech like that, how could I possibly refuse?"

Xehanort patted his shoulder, grinning. "I knew you'd come around."

Xehanort let go of Eraqus, then glanced at the front door.

"...Well, I'd better get going. It's late."

"You could always crash here for the night." Eraqus crossed his arms. "I don't mind, considering you broke in anyways."

"No. I should go. The master is expecting me to give him your final answer. I'll see you in the morning."

"Oh, alright. Good luck, then."

Eraqus waved as Xehanort headed out the door. He sat back down, staring out the window one more time before he retreated to his room. As long as Kairi was quiet, he could finally get some sleep. It had helped immensely when Xehanort had pitched in those few times. 

Which made what they were about to do to the clan all the more nerve-wracking for him. Despite his reassurances, Eraqus still felt uneasy.

...He didn't want to lose his best friend. 

****

_Rainfall._

Eraqus wiped his bruised lip, struggling to stand up straight. He couldn't see anything in his left eye, as it was coated with coagulated blood. He flinched at another deep cut on his right cheek. His comrades were all on the ground, brutally injured or dead. Xehanort stood before him, smoke coming out of the barrel of his gun. His own men started to back away as their leader strolled towards his injured friend.

"I told you before, didn't I?" Xehanort wiped a smudge off his weapon with his sleeve. "With power, there is _nothing_ I wouldn't be able to achieve."

Eraqus gritted his teeth.

"Xehanort....why?"

"I told him to."

Eraqus turned his head to see their master walk past him. He stopped next to Xehanort, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"This was all... _mostly_ fake. A _test,_ to see if you could handle what becoming the patriarch to a rival clan would imply." the master crossed his arms. 

"Xehanort here passed with flying colors. _You_ , on the other hand, _FAILED._ All because you couldn't bring yourself to attack him. Which I knew you wouldn't, but I wanted to see it for myself in real-time. Pretty embarrassing for _you,_ am I right?"

Eraqus looked back at Xehanort.

"...And you were _okay_   with doing this?"

Xehanort averted his eyes. "...I...had to."

_"Bullshit."_ Eraqus stood up straight, fueled by a sudden surge of indignation and disgust. "I _know_   you, Xehanort. You wouldn't do something like this just because you were _told_ to."

"It's hard to explain. It wasn't supposed to go this far." 

"Tell that to  _them!"_ He pointed at the crippled men on the ground.

"You knew all of them. We've worked alongside these people for years. They _trusted_ you. And now, some of them are _dead!"_ Eraqus snapped. "How could either you or the master justify all of this unnecessary bloodshed?!?!"

_"BECAUSE YOU'RE **WEAK!!!"**_

Eraqus was taken aback by the ferocity in his friend's voice. He gasped as Xehanort stormed towards him and grabbed him by the front of his collared shirt.

"You may be better than me at just about everything...but you're so painfully _weak."_ Xehanort shoved him back. 

"...I wanted to prove to the master that you wouldn't let your emotions get in the way. That you would do what needed to be done if you were ever faced with an unexpected threat. But in the end, you proved me wrong."

Xehanort lowered his head.

"You are a good leader. But not one that's cut out for the yakuza. You should quit."

Eraqus shook his head in disbelief.

"How...how could you even say that to me?!? This is what we've been working at our whole lives! Leader or not, I can't just give it _all_ up!"

"Yes. You can't just give it all up." Xehanort narrowed his eyes. "That much I agree on. But if you want to be a _patriarch,_ one that works in a clan _against_ mine...things can't be the same between us."

Eraqus eyes widened.

"What...what are you saying?"

Xehanort closed his eyes.

"...Starting today, we can no longer be friends. The next time we see each other will be as  _enemies."_

Xehanort turned around and started walking away. Eraqus tried chasing after him, but cried out as he clutched a wound in his abdomen. The silver-haired young man didn't so much as freeze or hesitate when he heard his friend's pain. There was no turning back now.

"Goodbye."

****

His eyes, wrinkled with age and stress from his time as a patriarch, snapped open. Back to the present. He winced after reminiscing on those old memories. He couldn't help it, thinking about the better times. Back when things were less complicated and it was just two dumb kids against the world. Back before the master pitted his two pupils against each other to see who would prevail. In the end, he knew he was given his portion of the clan out of pity.

After Xehanort successfully earned his own clan, he started to change even more. It still hurt Eraqus deeply when Xehanort decided to sever their oath. To the clan that was no more and to each other. At least, that was what he assumed. He knew there was something more to it. Something that the master hadn't told him. But it wasn't like he could _ask._

The master had been gone for years. He was most likely dead by now. And nowadays, his estranged friend was a completely different person. One who would barely talk to him. When they did, it was obvious that Xehanort was faking any sort of friendly, polite behavior. The child he raised was a testament to that.

_Xehanort....what happened to you?_

"Father? Are you okay?"

Eraqus shook his head, then looked down at Kairi. She was so much more mature now. So much stronger. He couldn't have been more proud of her, even though he couldn't say it in front of his men. Despite his shortcomings in keeping her safe, she would be a better leader. That much he knew for sure. He would not fail her again.

"...Yes, Kairi. I'm alright." Eraqus cleared his throat. "I assume you came to fill me in on the situation involving Sora. What did you find out?"

Kairi bit her lip.

"You'll have to see for yourself. Come with me."

Eraqus followed his daughter to the infirmary. Once they were inside, he immediately took notice of someone that was not from his clan, scribbling down some readings that appeared on the computer monitor. The young man turned his head in surprise, gawking at the patriarch with the eye that wasn't covered with bangs. 

"And who is this?" Eraqus crossed his arms.

"Relax." Kairi placed her hand on her father's shoulder. "He's not a threat. He works part-time at the loan shark office with Demyx. I asked him to come here and help with the diagnosis. He knows what will happen if he discloses any of this _confidential_ information."

Eraqus grunted, still unconvinced despite wanting to believe her. Kairi sighed, then pointed at the young man and motioned for him to get closer. He shyly walked over to Eraqus and Kairi while trying to appear relaxed.

"You must be the one in charge here. My name is Ienzo. Kairi asked me to run a blood test on her friend Sora." 

Kairi nodded in agreement. Eraqus raised his eyebrow.

"What is it that you do, exactly?"

"Err, well..." Ienzo tapped his fingers on the back of the clipboard. "...When I'm not at the loan shark's office, I'm a doctor-in-training. A biologist, to be more exact. I've been studying the pharmaceutical branch lately, so I know quite a bit about both legal and illegal drugs. And the... _side effects_ they might cause, both physically and mentally."

Eraqus seemed to relax a little. Kairi gave Ienzo a reassuring thumbs up, urging him to continue.

Ienzo coughed nervously. "Would you...like to see the results?"

"Absolutely." Eraqus nodded. "That _is_ what you came for, isn't it?"

"Yes." Ienzo turned his head towards the hospital curtain hiding the bed that was on the opposite side. 

"Sora is right over there, resting. I put him under an anesthetic while I took some blood samples. He doesn't seem to like needles very much. I'd be surprised if he was actually awake by now."

Ienzo walked over to the spot where Sora was with Kairi and Eraqus. He pulled back the curtain to reveal that not one, but two people were there. Riku was talking quietly with Sora who was lying down, but they both stopped when they saw the other three come in.

"Kairi!" Sora shot up with a smile on his face, but froze when he saw Eraqus. He immediately tried to look more composed, awkwardly saluting his superior yet again. It still fell short since he was currently shirtless.

"B...boss. Nice to see you too!"

Eraqus stifled a laugh. "At ease, soldier. This isn't the military. You can put your arm down."

"R-right." Sora dropped his hand, turning beet red in embarrassment. Kairi giggled. 

"Come on, Sora. You don't need to be so nervous."

Sora nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, I know...."

"Moving on, then." Eraqus looked over at Ienzo. "The results. What were they?"

Ienzo looked down at his clipboard.

"...According to my data, the drug that Sora was injected with was a....hybrid of sorts. A lot of it diluted already by the time I ran the test, but I managed to get two solid results."

"Which were?" Kairi leaned forward, appearing anxious.

"...Scopolamine and phencyclidine. Or, as most people on the streets call them...'The Devil's Breath' and 'Angel Dust'. Both are extremely addictive and dangerous if used incorrectly."

Sora turned slightly pale. Riku clenched his hands.

"That's...distressing."

Ienzo cleared his throat. "...Not to scare you all, but...if it had been a stronger dose, Sora would have..."

"Died." Sora lowered his head. "I know. This isn't the first time he's tried."

Ienzo quirked an eyebrow. "...He?"

"I think that's enough testing for today." Kairi placed a hand on Ienzo's shoulder. "Thank you so much for your help. But we can take it from here."

"Right." Ienzo handed her the clipboard. 

"Anything else you need to know about the drugs are on these test papers. If you need any help to clarify what the results say, just give me a call."

"Perfect." Kairi smiled politely. "I'll walk you out so my men don't think you're trespassing."

"Good point." Ienzo laughed nervously. "In that case, lead the way."

Kairi looked over at Sora, her expression becoming a bit more solemn.

"...I'll be right back. Get some rest if you're tired, okay?"

"Mmhmm." Sora ran his hand through his spiky hair, a distant look in his eyes. Kairi's eyebrows creased with worry, but said nothing else to him as she left with Ienzo. Once they were out of sight, Riku stood up and patted Sora's shoulder.

"Hey. You're spacing out again."

Sora blinked a few times, then looked up at Riku. He shrunk back a little at Riku's inquisitive gaze, feeling guilty for making his two best friends worry so much.

"Sorry. I'm okay, really."

"Are you sure?"

"....." Sora remained quiet. He averted his eyes from Riku, who was a bit disappointed by his reaction. He wanted to help, but how could he if Sora wouldn't open up about what he was feeling?

"If I may, can I tell you both something?"

The boys glanced over at Eraqus, who had witnessed their entire exchange. Hesitantly, they both nodded. The patriarch hummed in response, then pulled something out of his pocket. Riku got a little closer.

"What's that?"

"This, my young friend, is a Wayfinder." Eraqus rubbed his thumb against the smooth pink shells. "...Kairi gave this one to me, many years ago. Made it all by herself. It's a common tradition on our island that we would give this charm to the people we treasure most. It was a sign of our undying love and loyalty to each other. That no matter how far apart you were...you would always be together."

"That's some tradition." Riku crossed his arms. "Kinda wish I had something like that."

"Anyone can make a Wayfinder. It's not reserved to our island alone. Even I  once made these charms for two important people in my life."

"Who were they?" Sora chimed in. Eraqus was a little surprised to see that Sora was interested in hearing the rest. At least his mood seemed to be improving.

 "Well..." Eraqus sat down in a chair next to the hospital bed. "One was for my wife. I gave it to her during our honeymoon."

"And the second?"

Eraqus stared at the boys dead in the eyes. He smirked.

"...The second...belonged to Xehanort."

Both Riku and Sora's jaws dropped. 

_"XEHANORT?!?"_

Eraqus shut his eyes.

"...Indeed. We were best friends, after all."

"That's insane..." Riku plopped down on the foot of the bed. "I figured you two were just regular friends. Acquaintances, even. But not _best_ friends."

Sora scrunched up his nose. _"How_ , though? It's pretty obvious that he can't stand being around you. What _happened?"_

"I wish I knew the answer to that."

The three of them sat in silence for a while. Eraqus eventually got back up, then approached Sora. The young man gasped as Eraqus extended his hand out to him, displaying the Wayfinder.

"Here."

Sora shook his head. "I...I can't take this. Kairi gave it to you."

"Which is why I want to entrust it to you, Sora." Eraqus's eyes shone with a soft, gentle kindness he'd never seen before. 

"If I were to....if for some reason, I could no longer be there when she needs me, I want you to be there by her side. You..." Eraqus unexpectedly grabbed Riku's hand and placed it on top of the Wayfinder. "...And him."

After a few minutes of deliberation, Sora cautiously reached out and touched the Wayfinder as well. Eraqus slid the trinket into his hand. Sora stared at it, thouroughly confused yet honored that Eraqus thought so highly of him and Riku. He squeezed the Wayfinder, closing his eyes.

"...I won't let you down. I'll keep her safe." Sora opened his eyes. "But....what did you mean by that? Why wouldn't you be there for her?"

Eraqus shook his head. "You remind me so much of myself. Bright-eyed, optimistic youth that just wants to look out for those he cares about. But I'm old now. Whether or not something happens before my time has come, you three will outlive me. I'm hoping that you don't make the same mistakes I did."

Sora nodded, despite still feeling a bit uneasy. Considering his own situation with Vanitas right now, he wasn't doing much better than the boss. All he could do was hope things would turn out okay.

"I'll do my best."

_"We'll_ do our best." Riku nudged Sora, making him crack a smile. 

_That's right. I'm not alone. As long as my friends are by my side, I can fix this._

Sora turned his head to the computer monitor, seeing his reflection. He sighed.

_...In a weird way, I wish you'd had the same thing._

****

Eraqus stepped outside of the infirmary for a while. As he stood there,  Kairi eventually returned from walking Ienzo out. Still as determined as ever to stay by her friends. She paused when she noticed him standing there, then decided to get closer.

"...So." Kairi stopped right next to him. "Xehanort has made it blatantly clear that he's the one orchestrating all this. He's broken the truce between the three biggest clans in Kamurocho."

"I know." Eraqus sighed. "...I should have seen the signs sooner. During the meeting, he was the first to declare that that solitary plot of land was going to be his. We told him we wouldn't give it up so easily. It appears that in retaliation, he sent one of his own men to kill some of mine. I wouldn't be surprised if he did the same to Mickey and his clan."

"What should we do?" Kairi looked at him with a worried expression. "If we do nothing, it'll only get worse. He'll have that land for sure, then who knows what he'll do when it's his?"

"Probably attempt to absorb the other clans into his own, as he did with that small gang hidden near the edge of town. The one that used to go by the name 'Kaminari'. The streets will no longer be safe with Xehanort in charge of everything."

Eraqus closed his hands into fists.

"...We must confront him _directly._ I cannot permit this to go any further. All it will do is put more of our men in danger. And by extension, the city.  _Sora_  would be the most affected of all by this, due to his newly discovered ties with Xehanort's clan."

"Should I rally up a team?" Kairi placed her hand on the doorknob. "...I can let Riku know right away."

_"No."_ Eraqus shook his head. "It can only be the two of us, since we are both patriarchs. If we take several clan members with us, Xehanort may take it as an act of war."

"I understand that, but...wouldn't we be putting ourselves in danger?" Kairi frowned. "If something happens to us, the clan won't have anyone to lead it."

"That's why your two friends must _stay,"_ Eraqus explained. "To remain in charge whenever we aren't around. If we want to prevent Xehanort from seizing more power for himself, this is what we must be done."

"And how do you expect to convince him to stop this? He hasn't listened to you in a long time."

Eraqus's heart sank. Despite Kairi having a point, he knew that his best friend was still inside that cruel man. Somewhere. As foolish as it was, he'd always carried a bit of hope that he would see him again. The  _real_ him. Eraqus placed his hand on Kairi's shoulder.

"All we can do now...is try."

****

"...Has he answered yet?"

"No."

"Now?"

"Still no."

"...."

"...How about now?'

"Goofy. You've asked me that ten times already. _In a row._ You can't expect my answer to change if only a few _seconds_ have passed!!!"

"Right. Sorry."

Donald let out a deeply annoyed sigh. His thumb was numb from dialing Sora's number so many times. He was just about ready to give up and call it a day. When suddenly, by some miracle, his phone started to ring. Surely enough, Sora's icon appeared on the screen. He swiped up to answer.

"Sora! You've got some explaining to do! You haven't contacted us in a whole week!"

"Plus when we came to yer house, we looked through the windows and saw a big mess!" Goofy added. "What's been goin' on? Are ya okay???"

"Guys, I'm fine!" Sora said from the other side. "Really! I'm just a little...sick."

Donald and Goofy exchanged a troubled glance.

"Well, I suppose that makes sense..." Goofy rubbed his head. "...You _do_ sound a little under the weather..."

"What kind of sickness? Are you at home?" Donald inquired. "We can visit you, like we've done befo-"

_"NO!!!"_

Donald and Goofy were taken aback by his raised tone. They heard Sora sigh.

"...Sorry. I didn't mean to say it like that. I just....I'm gonna try and head back to the house today, once I get the okay from the doctor. You guys don't have to wait there the whole time for me. I'll call you and let you know."

The two cops looked at each other again, then shrugged. They didn't know what to make of Sora's bizarre behavior.

"Fine. We'll quit bugging you." Donald curved his beak. "...I'm sure you want some more rest, anyways."

"Definitely." Sora yawned, perhaps a bit too dramatically. "I'll see you guys later, okay?"

"Alright. Hope ya feel better!" Goofy said in his usual cheerful tone.

Donald hung up. He stared at the phone screen long and hard for a moment.

"...Something's wrong."

"Oh, good!" Goofy wiped his brow, which was drenched in sweat. "I wasn't the only one who thought that."

Donald hummed, deep in thought as he tapped his foot. Goofy watched him walk up to the front door, then pull the spare key out from under the carpet.

"Donald? What are you doing?"

"What's it look like?" Donald glanced at Goofy from the corner of his eye. "I'm gonna go in and investigate."

"I don't think Sora would want us snoopin' around in his house..."

"He's told us several times that it's fine to go in, Goofy."

"Only after we _ask_ him! We don't even have a warrant!"

"It's perfectly legal with probable cause! The way he's been acting and the messy house is a pretty good reason."

Goofy pouted. "...I guess ya have a point. I don't like this."

"Neither do I. But if he keeps on hiding stuff after we found out his _identical twin_ is a murderer...we need to see if there's any potential evidence."

Donald unlocked the door and went inside. Goofy reluctantly joined him, quietly closing it behind them. The condition of the house was even worse than they'd previously believed. Chairs were upturned and/or broken. The mirror close to the entrance had been shattered. There were indents on the wall as if someone had applied force to it. And finally, a spot on Sora's carpeted floor in the living room appeared to be darker, as if something had spilled all over it. There was a broken needle right in the center of the patch. 

"...I'll go get that evidence kit from the car." Goofy spun around headed back outside.

Donald chose to stay and investigate some more. He checked each area of the house for clues of what could have happened. So far, there was nothing suspicious in the kitchen or the bathroom. None of the sharper household items seemed to be missing, despite the implication that there was some sort of fight. Who could have possibly wanted to hurt Sora? Was that why he was claiming he'd gotten 'sick'? It was a terrible lie. Both he and Goofy knew him well enough to figure that much out.

"What are you trying to keep from us...?" Donald muttered to himself. He reached Sora's bedroom and cautiously opened the door.

"Did ya find anything?"

_"WACK!!!"_ Donald shot up from the ground in alarm. Once he landed, he smacked Goofy in the leg.

_"You almost gave me a heart attack!"_

"Shhh!" Goofy placed his index finger over his mouth. "Gawrsh, Donald. You've gotta try and keep it down!"

Donald grumbled something angrily to himself, pushing the door open the whole way. The two of them began to inspect the entirety of the room. Under the bed, under the mattress, behind the window curtains, inside some cabinets...yet no matter how many times they searched, nothing suspicious came up. Aside from the broken needle in the living room, which Goofy had carefully placed inside a plastic bag he'd gotten from the evidence kit.

"I think it's safe to say that Sora's clean, Donald." Goofy rubbed the back of his neck. "Someone definitely broke in and attacked him, which we can figure out by dustin' for fingerprints...but we can't say Sora's done anything wrong. I think he's innocent."

"But why would he _lie_ to us about it?" Donald insisted. "If he wasn't guilty of anything, he would have told us the truth."

"Well yeah, but...there ain't no solid proof!"

"There's one spot left that we haven't checked, Goofy." he pointed at the closet.

"Oh yeah." Goofy rubbed his hands nervously. "...You really think there's somethin' in there?"

"Only one way to find out."

Donald slowly opened the closet, Goofy biting his nails as he did so. They both shut their eyes reflexively for a second, fearing what they would see. The instantly relaxed when they opened their eyes.

"...Huh. It's just a normal closet." Donald looked up at Goofy. "I guess you were right."

"Oh, uhhh....'course I was!" Goofy grinned. "When am I ever wrong?"

"I'll save you the embarrassment by not answering that." Donald prepared to slide the closet doors back into place, when something caught his eye.

"...Wait a minute." Donald squinted his eyes. "What's that supposed to be?"

 Something inside the closet was reflecting light from the room. Donald pushed the closet door open again and searched deeper. He came back out dragging a silver briefcase across the ground.

"I don't know what's in this thing, but it's _heavy!"_

Goofy rubbed his chin. "Looks like it's got one of the passcode thingamajigs on the top."

"We need a password?!?!" Donald face turned red in irritation. "It was hard enough to _move_ it!"

"Here, let me try!" Goofy picked up the briefcase with ease. He pulled out a pair of glasses from the inside of his coat and put them on.

"Hmm..." 

Donald crossed his arms, waiting for Goofy to finish inspecting the case. He began tapping his foot as he grew more impatient. Just as he was about to say something, Goofy cut him off with a sudden shout.

"I've got it!"

"You do?" Donald raised an eyebrow.

Goofy gave him an enthusiastic nod. "Gimme a second to make sure."

Goofy set the briefcase down on the bed. He cracked his fingers, then started rotating between the numbers on it. Donald gazed at his friend wearily.

_...There's no way he can actually figure this out...right?_

_CLICK._

"Eureka!" Goofy said pridefully.

"WHAT???" Donald's jaw dropped. "What did you--HOW did you-"

"It was easy!" Goofy rubbed his nose. "I just set it all to zero, pulled back on this here latch, then felt for any tension while I went through the numbers. The numbers that felt tense were the right ones. It works on a lot of briefcases like this. Learned how to do this a long time ago with my dad!"

"Uh huh..." Donald's head was spinning from the revelation of of his friend's hidden knowledge. Sometimes Goofy did have his moments of pure genius. He felt a little bad for doubting him.

"Might as well check out what's in it, right?" Goofy opened the briefcase slightly.

"...Yeah." Donald had a determined look on his face. 

They nodded at each other, then lifted the top side of the briefcase. Their eyes nearly bulged out of their heads once they fully grasped what they were staring at. Goofy gulped.

"This might be a wild thing ta say, but...I don't think Sora's an accountant."

 

****

Meanwhile, Roxas had finally reached the headquarters of Kuroihebi family after following his men. He hid behind the corner of an alley, trying to map out a form of entry without being caught. From what he could see, the front entrance was heavily guarded. Cameras were everywhere. And even if he did manage to reach the door without being noticed, the clan members were only capable of entering by speaking through a voice box. He didn't want to know what would happen if a random civilian dared asking to be let in.

The only other ways he could get in was either through the back entrance, or possibly through the roof. But with so many of Xehanort's men running around, how would he reach either of them?

_Maybe I'll have to charge in._ Roxas placed his hand on the gun attached to his waist. 

_If it's really the only way..._

He jumped when he felt someone grab him by the shoulder.

"Don't even think about it."

Roxas pulled away and spun around, already swinging forward with his fist. He froze inches away from the person's face, immediately recognizing them.

"...Lea?!?"

The spiky redhead chuckled, pushing Roxas's arm down. 

"Jeez Rox, take it easy! You almost hit me."

"What are you DOING here???" Roxas hissed.

"Making sure you don't get yourself killed, of course." Lea raised an eyebrow, staring at the weapon. 

"...Or make any stupid decisions."

Roxas rubbed his eyes. 

"How long."

"How long what?"

Roxas grabbed Lea by the arms.

_"How long have you been following me."_

Lea scratched his head, looking to the side.

"...Long enough that I saw you leave that casino...?"

Roxas released his friend, sighing wearily. Lea rubbed his arms.

"...Was I tapped? Is that how you managed to follow me for this long?" Roxas asked.

Lea nodded slowly. "I'm a detective. What did you expect?"

Roxas grimaced, unhappy with Lea's reasoning. Lea rubbed his nose, feeling a little guilty.

"...I know, I know. I'm making myself look _really_ bad here. I shouldn't have tapped you. Which was...on the inside of your jacket, by the way."

Roxas pulled off his hoodie. He dug inside of it until his fingers grazed against something cold and smooth. He yanked it out from the inside of his hood, glared at Lea, then crushed the small microphone in his hand. Lea lowered his head in shame.

"Truth is...I wanted to be close by in case you needed any help. That's all, I swear."

Roxas breathed out sharply. He then placed his hand on Lea's shoulder.

"...I forgive you. But next time, just be honest with me."

Roxas squeezed Lea's arms, which made Lea wince at the faint pain.

"And don't put mics on me anymore. I'm sure this wasn't the _first_ time, either."

"Whaaat?" Lea waved his hand, sweating nervously. "No way! I haven't tapped you before now!"

Roxas quirked his eyebrow. Lea started sweating a little more.

"Okay, okay! Fine. You got me. I may or may not have done it a few years ago. But it was _one_ other time!"

_"While_ I was in the clan?" Roxas crossed his arms.

"Y....yeah." Lea twiddled his fingers. "Sorry."

"You can make it up to me by keeping _quiet."_ Roxas peered past his hiding place. "I'm still looking for an opening."

"Sure thing, buddy." Lea laid his back against the end of a retractable metal ladder. "My lips are sealed."

Just as he got comfortable, Lea yelped as the ladder suddenly went down the rest of the way. It made a loud screech from years of rust and lack of care, slamming against the concrete. Lea shot forward before it could drag him down with it, but was brought to the ground either way as something heavy fell right on top of him. He swore he heard a small cry before he was crushed.

Roxas swiveled around, startled by all the noise. 

"Lea! I told you t-" 

He paused midsentence, gaping at the scene before him. Lea was lying face-first on the ground, with his other best friend right on top on him. She groaned, rubbing her head as she sat up.

_"Xion?!?"_

She opened one eye, staring right back at him. Xion waved awkwardly.

"...Hi."

_"Ahem._ I would appreciate it if you got _off."_

Xion looked down at Lea, who glared back at her. He tapped his fingers impatiently.

"O-oh! I'm sorry, Lea!" Xion got off of his body, dusting off her outfit. Lea grunted as he slowly stood up, then cracked his aching back.

"Xion!" Roxas approached her, placing his hands on her shoulders. _"You're here too?!?"_

"Y...yes?" Xion stuttered. 

He scowled at Lea. "Don't tell me _he_ decided to let you tag along."

Lea shook his head, clearly offended by the accusation. 

"You crazy? I'd _never_ let a civilian put themselves in danger! _Especially_ one that's a friend! It's the whole reason why I followed _you!"_

_"Then why is she here?!?"_

Lea and Roxas turned to Xion, expecting an answer. Xion pushed a strand of her short, black hair behind her ear, biting her lip.

"...I finished my classes, so I went to visit you guys at the hospital yesterday. But when I got there, Aqua and Ven told me you both left. They wouldn't tell me why." she rubbed her arm.

"When I headed outside to see if either of you were still close by, I saw Lea sneaking around. He was talking with someone on his phone. It looked like a GPS was on the screen, too. When he started running down the sidewalk, I decided to chase after him. I'm surprised he didn't notice me."

Lea gawked at her, dumbfounded and mildly impressed. Roxas let out a disappointed sigh.

"...Look. I don't think you should tag along with us. Lea is fine because he's a cop." he pointed at the tall redhead, who nodded in agreement.

"But you? You're not a criminal _or_ a police officer. You're a regular person. This isn't any of your business." Roxas gave her an intense look.

"I don't want you to get hurt. So please...just go home."

Xion pulled back. She firmly shook her head, appearing quite cross with what Roxas had told her.

"I've come this far. I'm not going to let you do this on your own again." She glanced at Lea. "....Neither of you."

"If you two are breaking into a clan that's _heavily guarded,_ I'm going to help. You're not making me back out of this."

Roxas gave her a pained look, vaguely remembering Vanitas's harrowing words during their fight. He shook his head, not wanting to reminisce.

"....You can stay..." he said with gritted teeth.

"What?!?!" Lea stared at Roxas in disbelief.

"On one condition." Roxas raised his index finger.

"...You can help us break in from the _outside._ I don't want you to set foot inside that building. You'll stay hidden and be as silent as possible. Got it?"

Xion nodded. "Fine by me. You guys didn't even see me until now. I can handle this."

"Good." Roxas turned around. "In that case, let's come up with a plan."

The trio poked their heads past the corner a third time. Xion hummed as she took in their surroundings.

"...From what I'm looking at, the least guarded spot is the back entrance. But there's still one big guy standing there. He looks like he means business."

Roxas narrowed his eyes at the sight of the tall, dark man with giant muscles. The front of his shirt was slightly opened, revealing a bit of his chest. He wasn't sure if it was to show off his pecs or if it was how the guy dressed regularly. Either way, he was pretty sure that even the three of them together wouldn't be enough to take him down.

"We'll need a distraction..." Lea muttered, having the same train of thought as Roxas did.

Roxas tapped his foot, shutting his eyes in concentration. His lips tightened into a thin line as his mind went blank.

"I've got nothing so far."

Xion raised her hand. "...I have something."

Lea tilted his head. "Alright. What's your idea?"

"We could pretend to bring him something for the boss." Xion tapped her lips. "Or maybe...we could cause a scene as some reckless civilians?"

Roxas shook his head. "Causing a scene would be too risky. Bringing something would look too suspicious, especially if they don't know who we are and didn't order anything." 

"Now hold on." Lea rubbed his chin. "One of those ideas might actually work."

"Really?" Xion's eyes lit up.

"Yep. Your idea of bringing something gives us one other option." He looked over at Roxas.

"Roxas, I want you to hit me."

Roxas gasped. "What? No way!"

"I'm serious." Lea pointed at his face. "Hit me and give me a black eye."

_"Why???"_

"Aside from weapons and drugs distribution, does your old clan report to this one regularly?"

Roxas nodded. "...Yeah, I guess. Why?"

"Use your head, dummy." Lea knocked on Roxas's skull. "You can use that to your advantage. You've even got the ticket to get inside."

Lea pointed at Roxas's weapon. His blue eyes lit up as he caught on to what Lea meant. 

"Right. So I can use this as proof of being a member, then turn you in for snooping around?"

"That's right." 

"But don't yakuza usually _avoid_ getting involved with the police?" Xion inquired.

"Usually." Lea shrugged. _"...Unless_  they get too close for comfort. I've heard plenty horror stories of cops that ended up as mangled corpses in a ditch. Stuck their noses too deep into other people's business. _Yakuza_ business. I'll be another one of those unlucky few."

 "You sure about this?" Roxas looked down. "...Once we get in there, there's no telling what they might do to you. They won't let me hold onto you forever."

 "It's a risk we'll have to take." Lea huffed. "And I'm willing if it helps you get inside and come back out with that evil bastard. I'm sure you'd like some backup if he puts up a fight, after all."

"You should try to slip away when no one's noticing, Lea," Xion said. "So they don't get a chance to hurt you."

_"Now_   you're talking." Lea grinned. "See, Roxas? Three heads are better than one. This plan is foolproof."

 Roxas looked at his two best friends, giving him their most optimistic smiles and a thumbs up. He couldn't help but smile back. It faded a little when he reminded himself that another friend was absent.

"Hey, Lea. Where's Isa in all this? Wasn't he working on the case with you?"

Lea's eyes widened. "Uh, he still is. He was the one I was talking to while I was following you. The signal fell after a while, though. Reception's pretty bad around these parts of the city."

"Haven't you tried calling him again?" Xion asked.

"A couple of times." Lea rubbed the back of his neck. "It did finally ring after a while, but...he didn't answer. It's not like him. I hope he isn't _too_   worried..."

Roxas tried to picture a deeply concerned Isa in his head, fussing and on the verge of tears about Lea after not being in contact for so long. He couldn't do it. Isa wasn't a very emotional guy, at least on the _outside._

"...As much as I hate to say it, I might have to go on without him for this part. Either that, or we retreat and leave this for another day." Lea sighed.

"We can't give up now!" Xion protested. "Not when you're so close to catching the killer!"

"True." Lea shook his head. "In that case, we've gotta be smarter about this. One part of the plan is still problematic, Xion."

"Which is?"

Lea pointed at Roxas. "...You."

"Me?" Roxas raised an eyebrow. "What _about_ me?"

"Your clothes." Lea shook his head. "Hate to break it you, but you look _nothing_ like a yakuza. We have to change that."

 Roxas looked down at his incredibly ordinary outfit. Black jeans, gray jacket, a white shirt with checkered designs around the sleeves, and a pair of extremely comfortable Velcros. People teased him about his shoes all the time by assuming he couldn't tie regular shoes. Frankly, he didn't care much about their opinions. But Lea did have a point.

"...Okay. I see what you mean." He looked back up at Lea. "But where are we gonna find clothes that yakuza would wear? I doubt you brought a change of clothes with you."

Lea chuckled nervously. "Yeah...that stuff's back in my car. Which I left behind."  
  
"Great." Roxas rolled his eyes.

"I'd lend you my clothes, but I'm _way_ taller than you. And even if I weren't, I wouldn't want you dragging my stylish duds across this dirty street pavement." Lea tugged at his coat to straighten it out.

"You're not _that_ much taller." Roxas got in front of him. "I'm not a little kid anymore."

"You'll always be one in my eyes." Lea snickered as he ruffled Roxas's hair, who swatted away his hands shortly after.

Xion giggled at their antics, then started tapping her finger against the side of her head.

"I'd hem it, but I don't have any sewing materials..."

_"Man._ Guess the plan is a bust." Lea pursed his lips.

Roxas noticed a yakuza nearby that was talking to some other members. He had about the same build as him. That gave him an idea...

"Hold on a second." He approached the corner. "...I'll be right back."

"Wait. What are you planning to do?"

Roxas didn't answer Lea as he sprinted out towards the headquarters. His two friends gasped as some of the yakuza nearly saw him, but he managed to dive behind a garbage bin before they did. They watched as he creeped towards a clan member that had just started walking away from the others. He gripped the yakuza from behind and covered his mouth. Lea and Xion watched in horror as he twisted the man's neck, then dragged him into the closest alleyway. Several minutes later, Roxas came out fully dressed in the yakuza's clothes, carrying his normal outfit in his hands. He'd even put on the man's expensive-looking wristwatch and pair and sunglasses for good measure. Once Roxas returned to their hiding spot, he noticed how unnerved his friends looked.

"...What?"

"Did you just... _kill_ a man???" Xion inquired, clearly in distress.

"Wh-NO!" Roxas exclaimed, barely keeping his voice down. "He's not dead! He's just  _unconscious._ And...naked."

_"Where the heck did you learn to do that?!?"_ Lea whispered.

"I think it's pretty obvious by now where I learned this stuff."

"...Fair enough. Don't scare us like that again." Lea lightly punched Roxas in the arm.

 "That outfit looks nice on you, Roxas." Xion gave him a warm smile.

He blushed. "You...really think so?"

"Absolutely." Xion nodded. "Even if I don't agree with your methods on how you got it."

"Haha, yeah..."

Lea cleared his throat, staring at Xion and Roxas with an amused expression.

"If you're both quite finished...shouldn't we get moving?" Lea closed his eyes, sweating a little. "I want to get that punch in the face out of the way."

"R-right." Roxas shook his head, refocusing on the matter at hand. Gazing out to the clan's stronghold, he clenched his hands.

_...Vanitas...we're coming for you._

****

"Listen to the sound of my voice."

_Darkness. Silence. I...I'm back in my old home._

"What do you see?"

_My dad. He's yelling at my mom. I get up to stop him from hurting her._

"Did you succeed?"

_...No. He was too strong. Kicked me out of the house the next day. Didn't see my mom for a really long time._

"Are you afraid of him?"

_Of course I am. He was a horrible man. Still is. I could never defend myself from him. I did finally call the cops on him, though. They caught him red-handed, trying to hurt her again. My mom's free now._

"Is he the reason why you drink?"

_...Pretty much._

"Do you think your mother would want you to continue hurting yourself this way?"

_...No. She wanted me to take control of my life._

"Why don't you, then?"

_...._

"Well?"

_...You know what? You're right. I'm gonna stop this, for my mama's sake._

"I'm sure she would be very proud."

_Yeah. Yeah! She will be!_

"Wonderful! I'm so happy for you."

"...Now then. It's time to wake up."

The patient opened his eyes, perplexed as he looked around. His eyes fell on the therapist, who smiled back at him.

"How do you feel?"

The patient scratched his head and yawned. "...Kinda drowsy. Is that normal?"

"Yes. Putting my patients under a trance is kind of like sleeping. The only difference is that you're hyperaware of what's going on in your own mind, as well as a few of your surroundings. That's why I was able to communicate with you."

"How come I don't remember much?"

"Good question." she started scribbling something down on her clipboard. "It's because everything you've experienced was through your subconscious. Despite your hyperawareness, all of this was done in the deepest corners of your mind. It's why you were able to access such an old memory. You don't even remember it now, do you?"

He rubbed his head. "...Not really. Did I forget it?"

"No no, it's perfectly fine. The memory is still there. It hasn't gone away. But at your age, it's normal to not recall it easily."

"How do I know that all this _worked?"_ the patient curved his mouth.

"Let's test it." the doctor pushed forward a bottle of beer. "Take a good look at that drink. Do you still want it?"

"Hmm." the patient stared intently at the beer, tapping his fingers on the table.

"...Not really."

"Try drinking it."

He picked up the beer, popped open the bottle, then slowly took a sip. He immediately gagged when the alcohol made contact with his tongue and put it back on the table. He pushed it towards his doctor, baffled.

_"...Wow._ It tastes like shit." the patient looked at her in awe.

"It...actually worked. I don't want it anymore." he stood up at shook the therapist's hands vigorously.

"Thank you so much! You don't know for how long I've been trying to stop!"

She smiled. "Happy to help."

There was a faint knock on the door to her office. She turned her head as it opened. It was the receptionist.

"Namine? There's a call for you. One of your patients wanted to check if you were still available tomorrow at noon."

She nodded. "Tell them it's fine. I'll only be gone for the rest of this evening."

"Where are you going, doc?" the patient asked curiously.

Namine looked back at her patient. She smiled mischievously, placing an index finger over her lips.

"It's a secret."

****

 After a few hours had passed, it was time for the office to close. She rushed back home to her quaint, little apartment and unlocked the door as fast as she could. She didn't have a lot of time left to prepare for her nerve-wracking date. The person she was going to go out with was a complete stranger. Her friendly (albeit chatty) receptionist insisted that she try a dating app, since 'she was too pretty to die alone' and that 'if she ever wanted to get a man, she wasn't going to find one by hypnotizing him or burying herself into her canvas'.

...She wished it was that easy. 

_Maybe I should message this mystery person...?_ Namine shook her head. 

_No. Not yet. Only if I know I'm going to be late. I still have some time left._

 Namine headed into her bedroom and opened the closet. She scanned her clothes to see which outfit would be best.

_Let's see...jeans? No. Too casual. My old prom dress?  No. Too formal. Which leaves...._

Her eyes drifted over to a delicate, white summer dress. 

_...I do like that one. Casual, but not too casual. And my favorite sandals match with it. Yeah. I'll put this one on._

****

Namine fiddled with her light turquoise bracelet as she waited in front of the bistro. She'd managed to to make it time running on foot, but her supposed date was nowhere to be seen. She asked the people who passed her by if they were expecting a date as well, but so far none of them had. It had almost been half an hour.

_...If he doesn't show in a few minutes, I'll have to assume he stood me up._ Namine sighed sadly.

"Excuse me."

Namine spun around, nearly smacking into the stranger's face. He was much closer to her than she'd expected. She took a step back, bowing apologetically. He raised an eyebrow.

"Are you Namine?"

"Oh! Um..." Namine looked down. "...Y-yes. Are you...?"

"Your date?" he grinned. "Yep."

"It's....it's very nice to meet you." Namine extended her hand out rigidly. He smirked, then shook it. She awkwardly slipped out of his hand before the handshake went on for too long.

"...Wanna head inside?" he opened the door for Namine. She appreciated how polite he was.

"Yes. Thank you."

Namine stepped inside with her date following behind. The door shut behind them. He then went through the extra effort of finding them a table, then pulling out a chair for her. She shyly thanked him again as she sat down.

"...By the way...I never got your name." Namine pressed her hands together on her lap.

His yellow eyes pierced straight through hers. And yet, she couldn't tell much by looking straight back at them. That was surprising. She could usually read people very well. It was a part of her job, after all. 

He gave her a wry smile.

"It's Vanitas." he placed his hands on top of the table.

"I saw that you're an artist on your page. That's pretty cool."

"Oh, it's mostly a hobby." Namine twirled her blonde hair. "But I do enjoy it. And I get commissions sometimes. They help pay the bills."

"Nice. Also, it said you were a...what's that word again?" he snapped his fingers, scrunching up his nose. His face lit up once he recalled it.

"Oh yeah. A 'hypnotherapist'. You hypnotize people, right? Rearrange their way of thinking or whole memories, make 'em do whatever you want, stuff like that?"

 "I do use hypnotism, but not like that." Naminé shook her head. "My goal is to help people dealing with any sort of emotional, physical, or mental trauma. Not to manipulate them."

"...But you  _could,_ right?"

Naminé frowned a little. "Possibly. But I would never do that. It's _illegal."_

Vanitas sucked in through his clenched teeth. "I made you upset, didn't I? My bad." 

"It's okay." Naminé's expression softened. "It's a common misconception from what they show people in movies. They have a habit of stretching the truth to make things more interesting. Unfortunately, it tends to make the real thing look sketchy."

 "Damn. Must be rough." Vanitas looked to the side. "...I'm guessing you don't get a lot of clients."

"It's not too bad. I still get a steady amount of people who know the difference between reality and fantasy. It pays well."

 "Good to know, good to know..." Vanitas started tapping his foot.

"...It's funny. I coulda _sworn_ I've seen you somewhere else before."

Naminé's eyebrows raised. "Really? Where? Maybe I've seen you around too."

"Oh, I don't mean in _person_." Vanitas started spinning the fork on their table. "I think I saw you in a newspaper once."

Naminé's skin paled.

"Is....is that so..." her voice grew quieter. 

"Yeah, now I remember!" Vanitas's slammed his hand on the table, startling Namine.

"Saw a headline about the police breaking into a house after receiving a distress call. Happened about five years ago, I think. Some girl had called claiming that her parents were being attacked by someone that broke in. When the police got inside, the guy holding the gun was on the ground. The other two adults in the house didn't recognize their own kid, despite all the evidence in the house proving it was their daughter. As a matter of fact...the parents couldn't recall _anything_ from their entire lives. The girl was too shaken up to explain what had happened and the parents went back to normal after a week. So in the end, the thug who attacked them was sent to jail and the case was dropped."

"...Now that I'm thinking about it, the kid looked a lot like you. Pretty _weird,_ am I right?"

Namine shot up from her seat, appearing quite shaken. A few people turned their heads towards the couple to see what was happening.

"...I'm sorry. I'm feeling lightheaded." Namine lowered her head. "I-I have to go."

Vanitas stood up and leaned forward. He placed his hand on her forehead.

"You don't feel like you have a fever. C'mon. Sit back down. We haven't even picked anything to eat yet."

"....."

"Aw, don't be like that. I'm sure you're at least a _little_ hungry. Tell you what, it'll be my treat. I'll pay for everything."

"I'll be fine." Namine fumbled with her fingers. "...Thank you for your concern."

Namine turned away to leave, but felt Vanitas grab her by the arm.

_"I insist."_

Namine looked out to the rest of the bistro. People were beginning to stare. If she made a scene, there was no telling what might happen. She glanced back at Vanitas, noting a slight bulge on the left side of his belt. His coat moved a little, revealing the glint of something black and metallic. Namine slowly pulled away and sat back down, staring at the table. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of her face as Vanitas joined her, making himself comfortable again in his chair.

"That's better." Vanitas picked up the menu from the table. 

"Feel free to pick whatever you want. I'm loaded with cash."

"...You're too kind." Namine's tone betrayed her words, making Vanitas's eyebrow raise. She ignored him and focused on her own menu.

****

Time went on rather smoothly. Namine ordered a small bowl of ramen, while Vanitas chose to eat a red velvet cake. They even made a bit of small talk. Namine was careful to keep the topics as separate from herself as possible. Vanitas did the same, curiously enough. Seemed he didn't want to reveal anything about himself either. It only discomforted her more, knowing that Vanitas knew more about her than he was letting on while she knew nothing.

...Other than that, the date was nothing out of the ordinary. She couldn't say the same about the person she was with.

 As Vanitas took the last bite of his cake, Namine got up from her seat once more.

"This was...nice." Namine looked at the time on her phone, then put it back inside her bag. "But I have to go now. I've got work tomorrow. You understand, right?"

Vanitas stared at her with an unreadable expression. He then shrugged, setting down the fork he'd been clenching so tightly.

"Okay."

Namine blinked. Vanitas gave her a confused look.

"What?"

"Sorry, I just..." Namine looked to the side. "I was expecting you to object like before."

"Why would I do that?" Vanitas smiled. "All I wanted was for you to _eat_   something. Is that so wrong?"

 "...No. I suppose not." Namine slung her purse onto her shoulder.

"Well. I guess this is goodbye."

"Yep."

"Erm...goodbye, then."

"See you later." Vanitas winked at her.

Namine gave him a polite smile. She left the bistro shortly after.

_Yeah, right. I am NEVER doing this again. So much for online dating._

As Namine strode down the sidewalk, she couldn't help but feel that something was off. Every once in a while, she noticed a few men that kept on staring as she walked past them. She thought she sensed one or two following her as well. But whenever she looked back, the street was always too crowded to tell. She also felt a bit queasy. It definitely wasn't from her nerves alone.

_...I'm going to have to lie down when get home. The ramen must've upset my stomach._

Namine's steady pace slowed until she came to a full stop. She squeezed the strap of her purse.

_...Unless...there's more to it than that._ Namine's eyes darted from left to right.  _I did go to the restroom for a few minutes during that date. What if he..._

"Excuse me, miss."

Her train of thought vanished as she turned her head. Two large men in suits were towering above her. They didn't seem friendly.

"Could you spare a few minutes? We have some questions we'd like to ask you."

"I'm sorry, I can't." Namine gripped the strap even tighter, taking a couple of steps forward as she kept her eyes on them. "I'm in a hurry."

"It won't be long, miss. If you could just-"

Namine immediately turned back around and walked away, not letting the man finish his sentence. She overheard one of them mutter a curse. Her curiosity getting the better of her, Namine stole another glance at them.

...They were following her.

Namine sped up a little. They seemed to do the same. In a effort to escape her pursuers, she broke into a run and weaved her way through the cluttered street until she ended up in a much larger, disorganized clump of people. Eventually, she lost sight of the men. Letting out a sigh of relief, Namine slipped into an alley between a restaurant and an office building.

_That was close. They shouldn't find me here while I catch my breath..._

Namine pressed her back against concrete wall. She suddenly felt drowsy.

_All the adrenaline...must've worn me out...?_

Her eyelids began to droop. She slid slightly downwards.

_No...wait...this can't be right..._

With that last coherent thought, Namine's body dropped. She felt someone grab her before she hit the ground. Cold, calloused hands lifted her up and hoisted her onto a pair of broad shoulders. She managed to make out a set of bright yellow eyes before blacking out completely.

****

 

"Do you really have to go on your own?"

Sora gazed at Kairi with a worried expression. Riku nudged her, urging her to explain further. She sighed.

"I'll be with my father, you know. He can put up a fight just as much as I can. Not that we're looking for one."

"But Xehanort's a real threat to you guys!" Sora objected. "And Vanitas is there too..."

"I'm aware."

"...It should be me." Sora clenched his hands. "I should be the one to go and face them."

"Sora, we tried to do that already. Look at how it all turned out because _I_   allowed it." Kairi rubbed her temple.

"I know you. If you go, it'll definitely turn into a fight. We can't have any more conflicts like that, or it _will_   start a war between the clans."

She closed her eyes. "...The city would fall into chaos. There would be nothing but bloodshed. We can't let that happen. So the task of preventing this falls to me, as the future boss. And to my father, as the current one until he finally gets a chance to retire."

Sora bit his lip, still not liking what he was hearing.

"...Maybe I could...follow you guys in secret?"

_"Sora."_ Riku put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "That's enough. There's nothing else we can do. Kairi has made it very clear that we can't get in the way."

Sora lowered his head. Riku turned his attention over to Kairi, who peeked at him from the corner of her long hair. He nodded at her. Kairi took a deep breath, then approached Sora. She took his hand, causing him to instantly raise his head.

"...Walk with me." she let go and motioned for him to follow.

Riku observed his two best friends walk down the hall. Sora almost looked like a stray puppy tagging along from the way he stared at her from behind. He smirked.

_About time._

****

Kairi led Sora all the way to the pier. They stopped for a moment to gaze at the sunset, which was especially nice that evening. Kairi remained standing up straight, while Sora rested his arms on the railing. 

"What'd you bring us out here for?" Sora turned his head to look at her. He gasped when he noticed a single tear fall from her eye.

"Whoa, hey!" Sora turned his body around to face her. "Why are you crying? Did I do something wrong???"

"...No. It's not that." Kairi rubbed her own arms. "You haven't done anything wrong. And...that's the problem."

"What?" Sora tilted his head. "Kairi, I don't get what you mean."

"...I'm saying that it's my fault."

"What is?" 

"It's my fault that you're in this mess." Kairi rubbed her eyes. "I...I never should have let you join the clan."

Sora grabbed her by the shoulders. "No. Don't you say that. I chose this. It was to figure out who Vanitas was, remember? That was all _me._ Not you."

"It's deeper than that. You chose this because of me and Riku, too." Kairi's lip quivered. "You preferred being with us and becoming a criminal over living an easier life. That's something I deeply regret. I can never take that back."

"You said you were happy to see me join that day."

"I was a _kid._ I didn't realize what I was getting you into." Kairi's voice broke. "I may have been used to being a yakuza because I was born into it, but that didn't make it _right._ It's not a proper lifestyle, no matter what others may tell you."

"...How long have you felt this way?" Sora's eyebrows creased.

"Long enough." Kairi exhaled sharply. 

Sora appeared hurt by her statement. He looked out to the ocean again.

"...So, what are you trying to say? You want me to give up and leave?"

"That's not what I meant, either." Kairi sniffed, rubbing her eyes. She brushed her hair behind her ears to regain a bit of her composure.

"I don't want you to live for us. For me. For the clan. For _revenge_. I want you to live for _yourself._ You deserve better than following others blindly and without hesitation. Doing everything for them, and leaving yourself for last. Not confronting your own pain because you feel obligated to do things for others first. What is it that _you_   really want?"

Kairi looked down, a deep sadness in her eyes.

"If what _you_ truly want is to be free from the yakuza...I'm giving you that chance right now."

Sora shut his eyes. He suddenly found himself smiling a little.

"...That's what this is all about? Wanting to know how I felt about everything?"

Kairi nodded. "Pretty much."

"But you already know how I feel."

"Do I?"

Sora chuckled, shaking his head. He lifted her chin up with his hand.

"Of course you do. This _is_ what I want. It doesn't matter to me what you and Riku do for a living. All I ever needed was to be by your side. And that's the way it's gonna be, no matter what."

"You really mean that?" Kairi winced. 

"Absolutely. I mean it with all my heart." Sora turned his back to her, crossing his arms. "Frankly, I'm a little insulted that you didn't believe in me before."

He heard Kairi laugh a little, which made him perk up. 

"...I'm sorry. I've just been so worried about everything, especially you. You always talk about protecting me since I'm the boss, but...I want to do that for you, too. Even if it means pushing you away."

"Pushing people away isn't the best way to deal with problems, you know." Sora looked back at her. "It's much better to _talk_ about it. Like we're doing now."

"You're right." Kairi smiled. "You know, you sound pretty mature when you want to be."

"Heh. It's part of my charm, I guess."

"...I'm sorry for worrying you."

"You don't have to keep apologizing." Sora smiled sincerely back at her. "It's okay. I get it."

Kairi nodded, then went back to staring at the ocean.

"...Tomorrow may decide the fate of the clans as we know them."

"Yeah." Sora put his elbow on the railing. "It's gonna be tough. I could still sneak in, you know..."

"Not happening."

Sora rubbed his head. "Worth a shot. In that case...please be careful."

"I will."

They stood quietly beside each other for quite some time. Kairi wove her hand through his as the sun began to sink beyond the horizon.

"...Sora?"

"Mmhmm?"

"...There is...one more thing I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

Sora turned his head towards Kairi, when he was abruptly met by her lips pressing against his. She stopped after a few minutes, blushing profusely. Sora's face had turned completely red. He was seemingly dazed from her actions. Kairi nudged him gently, then began strolling away from the pier with her hands behind her back.

"Come on. Let's head back to HQ."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you.


	9. Heartbreak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The part where everything goes wrong.

_"Look, Aqua! A shooting star!"_

_She let out a faint groan. Roxas silently crawled over her body and plopped down next to Ven, who was gazing up at the night sky._

_"Come on!" he kicked her in the ribs without looking back at her. "You're gonna miss it!"_

_"Ven. It's midnight. Just go to sleep."_

_Aqua heard Ven let out a small raspberry. Probably directed towards her. She sensed his body shift on the bed._

_"C'mon, Roxas. Help me lift her."_

_"Not happening." Aqua put her arm over her face, grabbing the frame of the bed with the other. She felt them start tugging at her legs._

_"Let go!"_

_"NO. I'm tired."_

_Ventus's cheeks puffed up. "I'll yell if you don't!"_

_"You'll get us in trouble!"_

_"I'll do it!"_

_"Don't you dare!"_

_Ventus was already taking a deep breath. Before he even got the chance to open his mouth, Aqua shot up from their bed and covered it._

_"Enough. I'm up now. Happy?"_

_Ven and Roxas nodded in unison. Aqua sighed wearily, then made her way to the windowsill._

_From the third floor of Twilight Town's orphanage, the playground looked so tiny. Aqua looked up to see what had piqued Ven's curiosity this much. Her eyes widened a bit when she saw multiple lights, soaring through the stars._

_"That's no shooting star. That's a meteor shower!"_

_"See? I told you you'd like it. Also, what is that?" Ventus tilted his head. Roxas copied him._

_"It's like a ton of shooting stars happening all at once, from one point in the sky. Looks like they're heading north."_

_"Why's it happening now?"_

_"Well, it IS August. The same month that the Perseid Meteor Shower usually happens." Aqua shrugged. "It's a popular shower in Japan."_

_"...How do you know all this?"_

_"I read about it. The headmistress let me borrow one of her books. You should try it sometime, or you'll be dumb forever."_

_"Will not!" Ventus huffed._

_"Will too."_

_"...Can we just watch the shower...?" Roxas said in a hushed tone._

_Aqua looked over at him. Her gaze softened._

_"Of course we can. As long as Ven stops talking."_

_"I was gonna stop anyways... Ventus mumbled._

_He said nothing else as Aqua ruffled his hair. She wrapped her arms around her two brothers and brought them closer. They continued to watch the sky, awestruck by its strange, ethereal beauty. Roxas looked up at his sister._

_"...Aqua?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Where do stars come from?"_

_Aqua raised an eyebrow, thinking about his question._

_"....I heard they come from other worlds."_

_"Other worlds?"_

_"Yeah. Like planets, balls of gas, and galaxies and stuff. At least, that's what the headmistress said."_

_"Oh. I guess that makes sense."_

_She smiled faintly._

_"But I think they come from something else."_

_Roxas gave her a curious look. "Really?"_

_"Yeah." Aqua nodded. "I think stars come from kids like us. When we're born, we let off light from our hearts and souls. We can see the light of other people from here, and they can see ours. When someone goes away to heaven, the star disappears."_

_"So all those lights up there are other people?" Roxas asked._

_"Yep."_

_"...Can we say hi to them?"_

_"I dunno..." Aqua scratched her head. "Look at how far away they are. I don't think they can hear us."_

_"But we can try, right?"_

_"Well..."  she rubbed her arm, considering telling him 'no'. He tugged at her oversized shirt._

_"Please?"_

_His sweet expression made her crack. She sighed, shaking her head._

_"...Okay. But don't be too loud. The other kids are sleeping."_

_"Right."_

_"Ven? Wanna join us?" She glanced over at her other brother, who was still enamored with observing the shower._

_"Earth to Ventus." she waved her hand in front of his face._

_He blinked a few times when he finally heard Aqua. "Oh, yeah. Let's do that."_

_The three siblings whispered 'hello' to the sky and waved, hoping that maybe, **just** maybe, someone would answer back._

_****_

Aqua's eyes opened. She got up, her hair a disheveled mess.

_...I wonder why I dreamed about such an old memory..._

 She yawned, putting her hand in front of her mouth. She stopped when she noticed Roxas's empty bed. A lump formed in her throat.

_That might be why._

Aqua sat up straight when she heard the door open. Terra and Ventus were talking casually with each other, then paused when they noticed her staring.

"You're up early," Terra stated. His eyes lit up when he noted that she wasn't as pale as before.

"Aqua!" Ventus rushed over to her. "How's your throat?"

"It's much better now." her voice sounded less strained and raspy. "I might be good enough to leave tomorrow."

 "We'll speak with the doctor before making any rash decisions, alright?" Terra crossed her arms. "Just to be safe."

Aqua nodded. She turned her attention over to Ventus again.

"What about you?" How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good." Ven raised his arms and put them on his neck. "It doesn't hurt that much anymore. The headaches stopped, too."

"If you wanna head home now, that's fine." Terra patted his shoulder. "The doctor said you were clear to go. He just needs to check Aqua."

Ventus shook his head.

"I want to stay. I'm gonna wait until she's ready."

Aqua laughed a little at his concern. Ventus gave her a confused look.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. It's just..." she smiled warmly. "I remember when we used to argue a lot. Look at us now."

"We stopped being at each other's necks ages ago." he rubbed his head. "I'm pretty sure I was like...7? 10 maybe? I was still afraid of cooties at the time. I think it's safe to say that I'm over it. Why are you bringing this up?"

Aqua's expression became more solemn. 

"...I don't know. I guess...I'm just worried."

Ventus looked over at the empty bed in the corner. He winced.

"Yeah. There's a lot to worry about."

"Roxas will be fine," Terra assured. "We'll _all_ be fine. I promise I'll keep you two safe. For his sake."

Aqua nodded, grasping onto her blankets.

"Thank you, Terra. It means a lot to us that you're here."

She turned her head to gaze out the window. The weather looked pleasant outside. Clear blue skies, birds chirping as they flew above the rooftops, and a nice view of the pier since they were several stories high. But as she took in the view, she began to notice a single, unsettling detail. There were a couple of men loitering around on the rooftops, which wasn't unusual at first glance. What concerned her was that they appearing to be looking in the same direction. Specifically at the hospital. She wasn't sure if it was a trick of the mind, but she was certain that they were staring right back at her. She calmly turned away to avoid attracting any unwanted attention.

"Terra. Ven."

The two boys approached, noticing her severe expression. Terra quickly caught on by sneaking a glance out the window. It took Ventus a few seconds longer. He appeared to be uncomfortable with the new revelation.

"Are they...?"

"Yes." Aqua lowered her head, regretting that she hadn't seen it sooner. The pain from her injuries had left her incapacitated for too long.

"...We're being  _watched."_

****

_It's been five weeks since that incident. I still don't know where I've been taken._

_But I did learn that the people who kidnapped me, along with the one I went on a date with...were all yakuza._

_For what reason they need me, I don't know either. All they do is question me about my work and what it entails. The intricacies of what it means to hypnotize a patient, and how it can affect the mind. They threatened to hurt me if I showed even an ounce of resistance, so I keep my bitter words to myself. If I want any chance of escaping, I have to stay in one piece._

_I believe they are trying to recreate the effects of hypnosis through their narcotics. Which is entirely possible, given our advancements in medicine today. But how on earth would that benefit a bunch of thugs? Criminals, who live day to day terrorizing people, both innocent and guilty alike for money and growth of their businesses?_

_I would assume it's to make that process easier. Especially when they're dealing with people that are unwilling to cooperate. But striking fear into the hearts of their victims is how they normally go about things. Through intimidation and power, yakuza clans grow stronger. It's their way. So all of this that they're doing...it's very unusual._

_...Could it have something to do with the guy who drugged me? There's something about him that I can't quite pinpoint..._

_...I need answers._

Namine's head shot up at the sound of the doorknob wriggling. She shoved her notebook under the pillow of the miserable excuse of a bed they'd given her. What started as an ordinary sketchbook became the outlet for her innermost thoughts. Along with her purse, it was the only thing she had that truly belonged to her. 

...It didn't stop her from using some pages to sketch out drawings. It helped her stay calm.

The door swung open. Once again, it was the man with the eyepatch. He was carrying a tray of food.

"Well, well. Looks like you're wide awake already." he walked towards her. "Saves me the trouble of kicking your lazy ass outta bed."

"I don't know what you expect when you and your men keep me up all night, _interrogating_ me." Namine turned her head, crossing her arms.

"...Why can't you let me go already? I've told you everything I know about my field of work. I'd be repeating myself at this point."

"We can't have you ratting us out to the police. Duh."

_"I don't even know where I am!"_ Namine threw her arms up. "All I've seen is this room and some hallways ever since I _got_ here!"

"...Anything I'd say to the police would be _useless,_ even if I did know that. All I could say was that some criminals took me, asked what I do for a living, then left me alone. That's not a lot to go off of."

"Fair point." Xigbar glanced towards the open door, where another figure had appeared.

"Vexen, what do you think? Should we let the little lady go? Her argument _is_   valid."

The doctor stepped into the light. He somehow looked both tired and energized at the same time. And yet, incredibly unhappy as well. Namine wondered why, since he was usually eager to ramble on about his findings to anyone. Even to her, the _captive._

"Unfortunately, we cannot." Vexen put his arms behind his back. "We have strict orders from the patriarch to hold onto you for a little while longer."

"What for? I'm of no use to you people." 

"I agree." Vexen looked to the side. "I have all the data I need from you. But he seems to have something else in mind for your...' abilities'. Whatever that may entail."

 Namine dug her hands into the mattress, wincing. Xigbar sneered.

"What's the matter? Ain't got nothing snippy to say to us now? Too _scared_ for your own life?"

"Hey."

Vexen jumped a little, noticing Vanitas was right next to him. He hadn't been there a few minutes ago.

_"Must you insist on showing up out of NOWHERE all the time???"_

Vanitas ignored him, marching towards Xigbar.

"Grow up, dumbass. You're not a bully in a schoolyard. You're supposed to be older than me."

"Lay off _._ I can do whatever I want."

Vanitas gave him an irritated look, grinding his teeth.

"...Whatever. I got a message from the boss. Says he wants the girl to start agreeing to his terms and cooperate."

"What for?" Xigbar eyed him suspiciously.

"Hell if I know."

Xigbar rubbed his chin pensively. After a few minutes, he suddenly snapped his fingers.

"Oh, yeah! I think I know what he means. Can't believe the crazy old coot's going through with it."

"What are you talking about?" Vanitas asked.

Xigbar waved his hand dismissively. "You ain't got a high enough status. It's on a need-to-know basis."

"I'm plenty high enough."

"Nope. According to Xehanort, you're still ranked right below me." Xigbar pressed his hand against the top of Vanitas's head, grinning. "Try asking me again when you get a promotion."

Vanitas swatted his hand away.

"Bull. I'll ask him myself later."

"You'll be wasting your time,  _kiddo."_

The two men glared at each other, closing their hands into fists. Vexen cleared his throat.

"I'll...see myself out." he reached for the door, opened it, then left quickly. Namine shuffled her feet nervously, fearing that they were about to fight. To distract them, she decided to speak up.

"I'm not helping you."

The two men turned their heads towards her.

"...Sorry, I don't think I heard you right." Xigbar put his hand behind his ear.  _"What_ did you say?"

"I said I'm not helping you." Namine gave him a defiant look.

"You criminals thrive off of hurting people by any means necessary. I refuse to be a part of it."

Xigbar tapped his foot in irritation.

"You're in no position to refuse, lady. If you don't shape up, I'm going to make things _much more_ difficult for you. We can turn this place into a living hell, just for you. Do you really want that?"

"Torture me all you want. You can even kill me." Namine grimaced. "I stand by what I said."

Xigbar  _tsked_ at her, shaking his head.

"Suit yourself. Can't wait to see how the boss feels about your statement. Matter of fact..." he threw the tray of food at her feet, making some of it spill on the ground.

"Enjoy your last plate of food, 'cause that's the last one you're getting until you change your mind. That's _my_ first order, as second-in-command. We'll see how long it takes for you to break."

"Do you get off on treating little girls badly?" Vanitas raised an eyebrow. "Sure seems like it."

Xigbar scowled. "You're one to talk. Just for that snippy attitude of yours,  _you_ get to keep an eye on her until she's done eating. Make sure she doesn't try anything stupid."

Vanitas shrugged, saying nothing else as he turned his gaze away. He casually rested his back against the wall. Xigbar stormed out of the room and closed the door.

Alone with him again. Vanitas seemed to be ignoring Namine as he stared off at nothing with an irritated expression. She picked up the ruined tray of food and began to eat what was left. As she did, she couldn't help but steal a couple of glances at her captor anxiously. The tension in the air was so thick that one could practically cut through it. Namine jumped a little when he abruptly looked right back at her.

_"What are you staring at?"_

"N-nothing!" Namine lowered her head. "...Sorry..."

Vanitas grunted, then went straight back to ignoring her. Namine took a deep breath.

"I...wanted to thank you. For what you said back there."

Vanitas didn't respond right away. Thinking that he hadn't heard her, she tried saying something else.

"It was nice of you. I don't know what his problem is with me."

"I didn't do it for _you,"_ Vanitas said coldly. "I just can't stand that guy."

"Why?"

"None of your business. Stop talking." 

Namine looked down in disappointment. "...I'm sorry."

There was a moment of awkward silence. Vanitas sighed.

"I don't get it."

"Huh?" Namine tilted her head.

"I don't get why the boss wants someone like you. Aside from that one incident, you're just some ordinary girl. Hardly a threat at all."

"...You really don't know what your boss is planning, do you?"

"...No." Vanitas furrowed his brows. "And it's pissing me off. I'm normally not this out of the loop. But at least I'm in on something much more important."

"...Which is?"

Vanitas grinned eerily at her. "You'll see. If you live long enough, anyway."

Namine gave him a look of pity.

"I feel sorry for you."

His smile faded.  _"The hell did you just say?"_

"I mean no offense by it." Namine twiddled her fingers. "It's just...you look so _young._ You're probably around my age, even. But you've chosen a life like this..."

"What's wrong with that?" Vanitas's raised his head, glowering at her in contempt.

"I  _enjoy_ doing this for a living, idiot. No need to abide by the government's rules. Getting money any way I want it. Taking jobs where others get to suffer instead of me...what more could I ask for? As a yakuza, I'm _free."_

"Are you?"

"Tch." Vanitas averted his eyes. "Of course I am."

"Then why do you look so tired?"

Vanitas tensed up. Namine placed the finished tray of food on her bed, then cautiously stood up.

"The bags under your eyes, which are slightly bloodshot. Your unkempt hair, with a couple of brown roots sticking out. As if you haven't dyed it recently. And I'm almost certain that your skin isn't nearly as pale as it looks right now. Those are all signs of exhaustion, likely caused by a large amount of distress. Something has been keeping you up for several nights."

"You sure are making a lot of assumptions." Vanitas huffed. "What, are you a _psychic_ too?"

"A therapist is still a _doctor,_ Vanitas." Namine looked to the side. "Knowing how people are doing at first glance is part of my job. You didn't say I was wrong, either."

Vanitas narrowed his eyes.

"...What are you playing at? You want me to confess every little dark thing I've ever thought? Wanna see me squirm? See me scream? Maybe even _cry?_ Well, tough luck. Your mind tricks won't work on me."

"I'm not trying to trick you." Namine winced. "I...I want to know how you're doing. That's all."

_"Why?"_ Vanitas hissed. "I kidnapped you and dragged you into this hellhole in the first place. Why would you want to know 'how I'm doing'??? The only reason you're asking these questions now is for me to slip so you can weasel your way out of this room. Don't pretend to be a good Samaritan and lie to me with a straight face."

Namine pursed her lips.

"Has no one...ever asked you how you feel? Is that why you don't believe me?"

Vanitas shook his head in disbelief, annoyed with her persistence.

"Wow. You're actually going through with this. Gotta hand it to you, you seem pretty committed to your little act."

_"It's not a lie."_ Namine placed a hand on her chest. "I mean every word I say, with all my heart."

_"Cute."_ Vanitas sneered. "You must think you're such a good person, trying to play nice with a yakuza."

Namine clenched her hands.

"...You don't have to pretend to be strong."

Vanitas's eyes widened. Naminé noted that he was taken aback by her statement as if it had reminded him of something. Despite being afraid of what he would do, she confidently took a step forward.

"It's okay to be weak sometimes. You don't have to prove yourself to anyone. Not even to your boss."

"Stop." Vanitas took a step back.  _"Stop it."_

"Have they been hurting you? Do you really think everyone is like that?"

His expression was cold and guarded, but his muscles tensed up defensively. He couldn't stand it. Those compassionate eyes, patiently waiting for him to open up. To help him...like  _her._

Namine raised her hands. "I don't want to hurt you. You don't even have to let me go. I-"

She was cut off as Vanitas grabbed her by her wrists and pinned her to the wall. Namine stopped breathing as he swung with his fist to hit her. She flinched as it smashed into the concrete, right next to her face.

"...I thought I told you...to  _stop._ ** _Talking."_**

He let her go. Namine slid down into a crouch, trembling. He took his hand off the wall, revealing a small indentation where he'd struck it. If his fist had landed a few inches to the left...

Vanitas flexed his fingers before getting a call on his cellphone. He pulled it out of his pocket and tapped the screen. He put it against his ear as the call went through.

"What. He wants me now? Ah. They're right on schedule. Give me two minutes."

Vanitas hung up. He looked down at Namine, who had a fearful look in her eyes. He smirked, then headed for the door.

"You finished eating a while ago. Wasting my damn time..." He waved at her without looking back.

"Have fun in your 'personal hell', Naminé."

She squeezed her eyes shut as Vanitas slammed the door behind him. Naminé got back up, dusted off her dress, then took out her notebook from her bag (which they had mysteriously chosen not to confiscate, aside from her phone). She flipped it open to a blank page and began to draw to soothe her nerves. With each delicate stroke of her pencil, tear droplets would fall from her eyes. 

****

_Empty._

_For a very long time, she felt empty._

_The moment she laid eyes on the people who gave her life, all she saw was their disappointment._

_"We wanted a boy," they would say. "What are we supposed to do with this frail, tiny thing? A girl like this is no good for our family."_

_In the beginning, she didn't understand what they would say about her. Being a baby, she couldn't understand much of anything. But she could sense their displeasure. Their frustration. Their apathy. And once the words began to make sense, she started to feel something unpleasant._

_Not anger. Not even sadness. It was...longing. An intense longing to try and appease them, to make them see that she wasn't useless. She could be just as good as the boy they wanted and never got._

_...But it was never enough._

_She taught herself to read. To write. Even how to calculate basic math until they begrudgingly let her go to school. But she never learned how to communicate and interact with other people her age, so she often learned on her own. Too afraid to speak up. To use the voice they never wanted to hear. To the point that teachers wouldn't pick her to read anything and the other kids alienated themselves from her._

_Empty. And alone._

_On a rainy day, she tripped on her rubber boots and fell. The other children either laughed or ignored her as they passed by her. She desperately picked up her now soggy lunch that she'd made herself, and several of the school supplies that had fallen out of her bag._

_...She broke. She didn't know for how long she sat on the cold, concrete sidewalk, sobbing and feeling sorry for herself. It felt like forever. It might as well have been since she was sure she was going to be empty and alone forever._

_"Are you okay?"_

_She froze. A pair of black rubber boots squeaked as they approached her. It was a boy she hadn't seen before in class...or in the entire school, for that matter._

_He picked up one of her soaked notebooks and handed it to her. Shaking, she reached out and graciously took it from his hands. She kept her head down and tucked under the hood of her raincoat, too afraid to make eye contact with the first person that had ever helped her in her entire life. Seemingly picking up on how nervous she was, he kept a safe distance from her._

_"I saw those bullies talking bad about you, so I hit one of them. I think I scared them off."_

_She hugged her backpack tightly. The boy shuffled his feet, making the puddle underneath them ripple._

_"So, what's your name?"_

_She was too afraid to reply. The boy rubbed the back of his head._

_"...Well, my name's Roxas. It's nice to meet you."_

_Mustering up an ounce of courage, she decided to speak._

_"R...Roxas."_

_His eyes widened. "Yeah?"_

_She lifted her head a bit, her clear blue eyes meeting his._

_"...Thank you."_

_"Roxas!"_

_She tensed up as two other people began to approach. A slightly older girl, with bright blue hair. And a replica of Roxas, who she assumed was his twin brother. She hunched a little as they got too close for comfort._

_The other girl put her hands on her hips. "There you are! We've been looking all over for you!"_

_"Yeah, what gives?" Ventus huffed. "I wanted you to take a picture with the camera we got from the headmistress, but you disappeared!"_

_"You can't run off like that during a field trip, Roxas. You could've gotten lost." Aqua shook her head. "Keep it up and she won't let us tag along with everyone else anymore."_

_"I'm sorry." he lowered his head in shame. "...I saw someone who needed help while we were passing by the school..."_

_Aqua blinked. "Really? You helped someone?"_

_"Yeah." he nodded shyly. "A girl. She's right over..."_

_Roxas's voice faltered as he turned, realizing that no one was there. He looked around in confusion._

_"Where'd she go? She was right here..."_

_"I don't see anybody." Ventus raised his eyebrow. "This isn't just a cover for running off on your own, right?"  
_

_"I'm not making it up. She was here. I helped her pick up her stuff." he looked down. "I never even got her name..."_

_"Oooh, your face is red." Ventus grinned. "Was she cute?  Do you looove her?"_

_"No way! Girls are gross!" he stuck out his tongue at Ventus, who continued to tease him. Eventually, Roxas started chasing after him in frustration._

_"Roxas has a girlfriend! He's gonna date her~!"_

_"SHUT UP!"_

_As the two brothers fought over whether or not Roxas loved the girl, she observed them from behind a tree. She felt immense gratitude for the boy's kindness still, but she wasn't ready to tell him how much it meant to her._

_Someday, when the time was right...she would._

***

"I don't know if this is going to work."

Roxas stared down at his suit, then over at Lea. He was currently rubbing his bruised eye. 

"Your ex-boss said if we were careful, we'd get in pretty easily." Lea shrugged. "We've got no choice but to take his word at this point."

"...How's your eye, by the way?" Roxas gave his friend a worried look. "It doesn't look so good. Did I go too far?"

Lea chuckled. "It hurts like hell. Nothing some ice and a nap can't cure, though. I'll be fine. I'm kinda impressed at how tough your left hook is, to be honest."

"...I'm not very proud of where I learned it from..." Roxas lowered his head sadly.

He felt someone touch his shoulder. He turned his head back to see Xion, smiling at him.

"It's alright. You don't have to be ashamed of that part of yourself." She sighed. 

"...At the very least...I think I know how you feel."

"Xion..." 

She shook her head. "Cheer up, okay? Everything will work out. You can do this."

Roxas smiled at her. "Thanks."

"Look after each other. If things get too intense for you and Lea, shoot me a quick message right away. I'll help in any way I can. I might come to the rescue anyways if I hear and see trouble."

"...." Roxas looked away. Xion leaned towards him.

"Promise?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I promise."

"Roxas." Lea looked out at the clearing.

"No one's at the back entrance, 'cept for the guard. Let's hurry. See you in a bit, Xion."

"Got it." Roxas nodded at Xion, then approached Lea and pinned his arms behind his back.

_"Ouch!"_

"Ah, sorry!" Roxas let go. "I was too rough again..."

Lea snickered. "I was just messing with you. C'mon, Mr. Yakuza." 

Roxas shook his head and pinned him again, then headed out into the clearing. Xion bit her lip as she watched them from the corner.

_...Be careful._

The guard stared warily at the two men once they got close enough. Roxas straightened his posture to look taller and more threatening. 

"Who are you supposed to be?" he grimaced. "...And what's with the copper you brought along with ya?"

"I'm from the Kaminari." Roxas used one hand to slightly pull out the weapon from his coat, showing the insignia of the clan. He shoved Lea forward a bit.

"Found this guy snooping around, so my boss told me to bring him in."

"You're one of Marluxia's goons, eh?" the guard smirked. "We didn't get a call from him."

"He told me to go to the Kuroiebi clan right away. Said it would be easier to...' take care' of the cop here."

Lea gulped. Roxas wanted to reassure his friend, but couldn't with the _actual_ yakuza right in front of them. He kept a straight face, hoping his eyes truly were impossible to see behind the shades. The hardened look of a criminal wasn't quite as visible on him anymore. Even now, the guard didn't look entirely convinced. Roxas and Lea tensed up as he pulled out a walkie talkie from his pocket.

"...Just to be sure, I'm gonna call our lieutenant. He usually handles this stuff. Maybe he forgot to give us Marluxia's message."

Roxas started to sweat.  _Crap. We didn't account for the guys in charge..._

"That won't be necessary."

Roxas's eyes went wide as the fragrance of flowers passed by them. The yakuza's eyebrows raised as the Kaminari's boss give him a polite smile. He pulled out his phone and showed the guard his call history.

"As you can see, I called Xigbar at least a half-hour ago. He knows that one of my men is here...along with an officer that's gone _in too deep."_ he glared at Roxas from the corner of his eye, as well as Lea for a few seconds.

"...To be fair, he isn't the only one."

Lea frowned at his statement but remained silent. Marluxia turned his attention back to the guard and bowed.

"If you'll excuse us. I apologize if my subordinate put you on edge."

"It's...no problem, sir." the guard opened the backdoor. "Go right ahead."

Marluxia nodded, then motioned for Roxas and Lea to follow him. They followed the gang leader into the building. Once they were far enough from the entrance, Marluxia glanced over at the two friends again.

"When I said you could do whatever you wanted...I did  _not_ mean to do something this unbelievably stupid. What were you _thinking?_ Bringing a cop to the biggest syndicate in all of Kamurocho?"

"We're friends." Roxas nudged Lea. "He followed me here  _after_ he tapped my clothes and came up with this crazy plan. _Right?"_

Lea shrugged. "Guilty as charged."

Marluxia sighed, staring at Lea with disdain.

"For a police officer, you're quite dense. Only a fool would walk into a lion's den without any protection. Roxas doesn't count. He's nothing but a cub amidst all these _true_ predators..."

_"Hey."_  Roxas huffed. "Give me a little more credit than that."

_"Whatever,_ pretty boy. I've heard this spiel dozens of times already," Lea stated sarcastically.

Marluxia scrunched up his nose. "You should consider taking the advice for once."

_"You_ don't seem so smart either. We didn't invite you. You're drawing more attention to _us_ by showing up here." Lea crossed his arms. "...I'll bet half of that brainpower of yours goes to sprucing yourself up. You're probably a hit with the ladies. Even that guard was giving you some looks."

Marluxia rolled his eyes.

"...If you aren't careful, Xehanort's men will whisk you away from your 'friend' and beat you to death."

"Wait. Beat me up like it's... _torture <\i> or something?"_

 

 

"Yes," Marluxia said matter-of-factly. "That's just how they do things here. All I can recommend for you is to lie low and hope that the yakuza don't catch you. Roxas, you'll have to keep an eye on him at all times."

"Sure. I was already doing that." Roxas curved his mouth.

"...Lea does make a good point, though. Why are you here? I thought you said you were a sitting duck."

"I still am, more or less." he placed a hand on his cheek. "But when I called Xigbar to let him know you were coming, he invited me to join in as well. There's an important meeting that he wants me to be a part of." Marluxia's eyebrows creased.

"...I don't know if he knows about our plan to take Vanitas and bring him to justice...but it was at least an opportunity to keep a closer eye on you. To see what you were planning. Thank goodness I managed to get here before things went sour..."

"We appreciate it." Roxas nodded firmly, while Lea shook his head in disagreement.

"Come on." Marluxia jerked his head. "We're heading upstairs."

"Why?"

"Vanitas will most likely end up at the same meeting I'm attending. The moment it ends and there's an opening to grab him, you'll need to be close by. I'll give you a signal, so keep your eyes on me once I come back out."

"It's not going to be that easy." Roxas furrowed his brows. "He won't willingly turn himself in. He's going to resist. And I... _lost_ the first time I fought him."

Marluxia seemed surprised by his statement.

"That certainly _is_ a problem. You were never the easiest to take down."

"A fight would draw _way_ too much attention to us anyway..." Lea added. "If we're gonna nab that creep, we have to do it _quietly."_

"Hmm..." Marluxia placed a finger on his chin. 

"In that case, we'll have to go for something that's a bit more...unorthodox. I'll need Larxene to do what she does best."

"Wait, _she's_ here too?" Roxas said in surprise,

"Larxene got here a little before I did. She's buttering up some of Xehanort's men with her charm as we speak. Praising them, flirting with them...all of that nonsense. She seems to find it entertaining to toy with their emotions, but it wasn't simply to _indulge_ her. Just a failsafe in case your plan didn't work. _Distracted_ men aren't _efficient_ men after all."

"Fair point." Lea jutted out his bottom lip. "...I guess that _is_ pretty clever. But that's all you're getting out of me."

  _Ugh. What charm? She's more of a hag than anything,_ Roxas thought bitterly to himself. 

 "I'll go and look for her. Do me a favor and go hide in that empty room." Marluxia pointed at a door that was right next to the staircase.

_"Stay there._ I can't afford to have the blood of a civilian _and_ an officer on my hands because you were too stupid to listen."

"We're  _touched_ by your concern." Lea laid his back against the wall, putting his arms behind his neck.

"Make it quick, alright? I get antsy staying still for too long."

"You'll wait for as long as you _need to."_ Marluxia shook his head as he walked away, leaving the duo alone.

Lea glanced at his friend with a worried expression. 

"...Let's hope it wasn't a bad call to trust _him,_ Roxas."

****

Her heart was racing.

Being in front of the Kuroihebi headquarters made nothing but bad memories resurface. Not even thinking of the patriarch inside, who used to be a good friend of the family, formed a smile across her lips. Kairi blinked when she felt her father's warm, calloused hand touch her shoulder.

"Are you ready?" 

She glanced at him and forced a smile.

"Yes."

Eraqus shook his head. "...I can tell when you're lying."

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

Eraqus squeezed her shoulder.

"...You can back out of this if you want to. I can handle Xehanort by myse-"

_"-Papa."_

His eyes lit up. Kairi looked away.

"...Just let me do this. I have to if I'm going to take over someday. If Xehanort wants every scrap of land in this city, he'll have to deal with _both_ of us first."

"Kairi..." Eraqus shut his eyes. He released her shoulder.

"...You're right. As always. Let's keep going."

Kairi and Eraqus approached the entrance to the headquarters. There were two guards at the front, who gazed at the pair suspiciously. Eraqus stopped in front of them and nodded.

"Ansem. Xemnas."

"What business do you have here?" Ansem crossed his arms.

"We've come to speak with Xehanort." Kairi took a step forward.

_"Just a moment."_ Xemnas blocked the front doors. "We must contact him first to see if he's available. _And_ if you're worth his time. You won't go inside otherwise."

Kairi was about to object since they were pressed for time as it was. She paused when her father raised his hand.

"Very well, gentlemen. We will wait. But do let him know that I am a busy man, with my own clan to run. I expect him to _respect_ that."

Ansem scoffed, then nodded at Xemnas. Xemnas raised his hand to his ear and pressed a button on his headset.

"Sir. There are two yakuza from the Kogoshikaze. Yes, it's him. He brought his daughter."

Kairi frowned at the fact that they were reducing her to the daughter of the patriarch. There was more to her status than that. Eraqus gave her a reassuring look, which eased a bit of her frustration.

"As you wish, Sir. We'll handle it." Xemnas pressed the headset again, shutting it off. He stepped away from the entrance along with Ansem.

"...You may enter." Xemnas said nothing else, turning his attention elsewhere. 

Eraqus and Kairi walked past the guards, then pushed open the doors together. Kairi felt a chill run down her spine as the temperature inside seemed to drop. A few yakuza that were going about their business took notice of the unwanted guests and kept their eyes on them. Before any of them reacted, however, they heard someone whistle. Eraqus and Kairi looked up to see the lieutenant, waving at them from the top of the stairs.

"Hey there!" Xigbar grinned. "You two sure know how to make an entrance. Even if it wasn't flashy enough for my taste."

_"Where is Xehanort?"_ Kairi demanded. 

"Try to relax, sweetheart. I don't bite. Come on up here and I'll take ya to him."

Kairi and Eraqus exchanged a concerned glance. It was a little strange that Xehanort wasn't the first to greet them. Reluctantly, they went up the stairs and approached Xigbar. He politely shook their hands.

"Alright, let's get going. The boss has got some big plans that he's getting ready for, so he can't indulge you for long."

_That's what we're worried about..._ Kairi pursed her lips. 

They followed Xigbar down the hall until they finally reached Xehanort's office. He didn't get a chance to open the door as the big man himself came out. There was a strange gleam in his dull yellow eyes.

"Eraqus. Kairi. How nice to see you again."

"Spare us the formalities." Kairi crossed her arms. "You know why we're here."

Xehanort shrugged. He motioned for them to enter his office. Xigbar smirked as the door shut.

Eraqus and Kairi sat down near his desk. Xehanort put his arms behind his back, gazing out the window.

"I knew you would come. It was only a matter of time."

 Eraqus's eyebrows creased. "I believe you owe us an explanation for everything you've done. _Talk."_

Xehanort placed his hand against the glass, observing the bustling crowds of people beyond the clan headquarters.

"Tell me something, Eraqus. Just how much were you planning to expand the reach of your clan?"

Eraqus looked to the side. "...Enough."

"All these years, and you're still a terrible liar." Xehanort clenched his hand. "I know that at some point you would've wanted to own more properties than me, reaping the profits all to yourself. In turn, you could have the means to control the government and those that enforce their laws. While our hold on such things is in the background, it's surprising how effective it is. How easy it can be to corrupt those who stand for 'justice'."

"What are you getting at?" Eraqus inquired.

"Every person has their brand of _justice,_ do they not?" Xehanort turned around. "You and your daughter have different definitions of the word, as do I. Our men are no exception to this, either. One of _yours,_  in particular, has piqued my interest."

"You're not laying a finger on any of them." Kairi grimaced. "They belong to the Kogoshikaze."

"Yes, yes, of course." Xehanort eyed her for a moment. "Of course they do. In any case, that isn't what _I_ want to discuss."

"What is it, then?"

Xehanort closed his eyes.

"I would like your clan's assistance with a certain...conundrum I've run into. Or rather, the assistance of one of your men. I need to speak with your second lieutenant."

Kairi's eyes widened. Eraqus seemed just as surprised at first until his expression shifted into anger.

_"...I forbid it."_ Eraqus bared his teeth. "Haven't you done enough damage to that boy's family?"

"Come now, old friend." Xehanort shook his head. "You've put fine establishments out of business and hurt plenty of people. Not much different from what I do. Isn't it a bit late to grow a conscience? You wouldn't have told me 'no' before. Certainly not to our dearly departed boss."

"Before _what?"_ Eraqus snapped. "Before you proved to be an unreliable ally to my clan? Before you turned your back on me? Before you let my daughter get hurt by the twisted child you raised?  _twice?_ You must take me for a fool. And don't bother bringing up our old master, since  _I'm_ the one in charge of _myself_ now."

Xehanort raised an eyebrow. 

"...Very well. If that's how you want to be about it. Don't say I didn't try to play nice."

Eraqus and Kairi spun around, hearing the office door creak open. A small group of Xehanort's men entered the room, with a familiar face leading them. Kairi gritted her teeth, closing her hands into fists.

_"You."_

"Hey." Vanitas sneered. "Got bored playing with your little boy toy, huh? I can understand why you'd prefer a _real_ man over my crybaby twin."

"I'm _taken_. That's not changing any time soon." Kairi scoffed. "I don't date sick freaks who chop off people's heads."

_"Excuse_ _me,_ princess. Didn't realize a yakuza had to have _standards_. Not like I'm interested, anyways. It's just fun to piss you off."

Kairi took a step towards him threateningly, but Eraqus held her back. 

"Remember. We're not here to pick a fight."

Kairi glanced back at her father, suddenly feeling ashamed. As satisfying as it would have been to knock some of Vanitas's teeth out, doing it in front of several armed yakuza in enemy territory would've been too risky. She stepped back. 

"I see she takes much from you, Eraqus." Xehanort chuckled. "I'm surprised you've managed to restrain _yourself_ for this long. You always did have a bit of a temper."

_"Get to the point."_ Eraqus narrowed his eyes. "Why are your men here?"

"I'm giving you a choice." Xehanort clasped his hands together. "Either you bring your lieutenant here, _willingly..._ or you and I are going to have a serious problem."

"You're going to tell me _why_ you want him first."

Xehanort hummed. "...You're not in much of a position to make any demands. But very well. What's the harm in telling a _friend?"_

_"You and I are NOT friends."_ Eraqus raised his head indignantly. "You lost that privilege a long time ago."

"Hmm." Xehanort's expression was unreadable. He pulled out a cigar from one of the desk drawers, to which one of his men pulled out a lighter to ignite it. Xehanort exhaled the smoke in Eraqus and Kairi's faces, forming a faint ring around their heads.

"...I am in the process of acquiring land for a...project of mine. One that will change Kamurocho as we know it, for better or worse." he chuckled. "Well, better for _me_ at least."

"Do you recall that tiny, abandoned patch of land we discussed in our previous meeting?"

Eraqus nodded. "The one on the edge of Nakamichi Street. Which you _still_ can't obtain without a signature from the true owner, by the way."

"True, true. But here's the thing." Xehanort tapped his cigar with his finger.

"I have, in fact, discovered who the owner is.  _And YOU had him this entire time."_

Eraqus's eyes widened. He shot up from his chair.

"How did you find out???"

"I told you. All of the pieces were going to fall into place eventually. You quite foolishly let one of them fall right into my lap." he pointed at Vanitas with his cigar.

"...Damn it." Eraqus began sweating nervously.

Kairi frowned. "Father, what did you do?"

Eraqus rubbed his eyes.

"...They weren't supposed to learn the truth."

"About what? And who? You're not making any sense."

Eraqus sat back down with a grave expression.

"...Sora and Vanitas. I...knew their parents. I knew that they were brothers from the very beginning."

Kairi gasped. "How...how could you hide this from us? From  _me???"_

"It wasn't my intention." Eraqus clasped his hands together. "...But it was what they wanted."

"Care to indulge us with the _full story,_ Eraqus?" Xehanort rested his chin on his hands. 

"I know only bits and pieces. But I'd love to hear it from _your_ perspective."

"...Fine." Eraqus closed his eyes.

"Twenty-one years ago I met them. A little after I became a patriarch. While I was initially going to take the land by force, the couple convinced me to agree to their terms instead. I offered them protection, they gave me a bit of their money every month, I left them alone. I would pressure them sometimes if they were late for payments, which happened quite often."

 "And then...the wife became pregnant. They were going to have twins. They were excited at first until they realized that they couldn't afford it. Let alone TWO of them. And since my clan was still trying to gain some traction, I refused to budge on the amount of money they owed me."

Kairi crossed her arms. She glanced at Vanitas for a second, whose bottom jaw and hands were clenched. Eraqus continued.

"...In the end, they decided they were going to have to give one of them up. With no one else to turn to, they told me to take him someplace safe. I had one of my men take him to the nearest orphanage, afraid that if I looked at that child...I would want to take him in. Taking care of my daughter, Riku, then Sora and the entire clan...it would have been too much."

"..." Kairi sighed.

"...And the deed?"

"Originally, they were going to entrust it to me if they ever left the city. Until they were _murdered."_ He glared at Xehanort, who grinned slyly.

"When the police left, I decided to search the rubble of the destroyed house. I concluded that the deed was gone. Destroyed with everything else. It appears that I was...wrong. About many things." Eraqus stared off into the distance.

"And when you met the last survivor to that family and told me he wanted to be a yakuza, Kairi...I felt it would be a good way to atone for my sins. Had I not seen the value of that portion of land, no other clan would have..."

_"That's_ why you let Sora join so easily?" Kairi winced. "To feel... _better_ about yourself...?"

Eraqus lowered his head in shame. 

"I know it was selfish. But I cannot change what's already in the past." he gave her a pained look, then looked to Vanitas. 

"...I'm sorry."

Vanitas shook his head as his lips tightened into a thin line. He inhaled sharply. 

"You're _sorry."_ he chuckled. "That's all you have to say, huh?"

Eraqus stood up to try and explain further. But before he could, Vanitas punched him across the face. The patriarch fell to the ground, startling Kairi and himself.

_"We're WAY past the point of a **fucking** **apology**. If you know what's good for you, you'd better keep your goddamn mouth shut for the rest of the meeting."_

Eraqus rubbed his jaw while Kairi helped him stand back up. She glared at Vanitas angrily, then at Xehanort.

"Why oh why would you hide this from me, Eraqus?" Xehanort said, feigning a hurt expression. "You should have known better than to keep secrets from me. Sooner or later, it all comes back to _bite_ you."

Kairi watched as Xehanort pushed a sheet of paper closer to them. Her eyes widened, realizing that it was the deed. The paper still had a few scorch marks from the fire, but otherwise was intact. Xehanort flipped it over to the side where the signature was needed. She heard the familiar click of guns, ready to fire at them from behind.

 "Why do you need Sora, anyways?" Kairi retorted, attempting to distract them. "Why don't you get Vanitas to sign it?"

"I'm not on the deed, idiot. My signature would do nothing." Vanitas scowled. "It's common sense that we don't have the same handwriting, either."

"...Sora is the sole owner of that plot. As much as I hate to admit it, we need him. Almost seems like your daddy accounted for this when he let him become a yakuza. On _his_ side, with a status that makes him nearly untouchable. Am I _wrong,_ old man?"

"...." Eraqus averted his eyes.

"Tch. Thought so. That was a pretty smart move on your part, keeping the other 'requirement' from us. Too bad it was all pointless in the end."

Vanitas pulled out a gun from his holster and aimed it at Eraqus's head.

_"Princess._ Be a doll and call your boyfriend, or I'll blow your boss's brains out. I can already feel my finger getting twitchy with anticipation, so be quick about it. You've stalled for long enough."

 Kairi reached down for the weapon attached to her belt. She flinched as a bullet whizzed past her ear. 

_"Don't make me shoot you, too."_ Vanitas blew the smoke from the barrel of his gun. "It would be such a waste, considering how _valuable_ you are."

Kairi gritted her teeth, moving her hand to her pocket. She reached inside for her phone. But as she did, she felt something cold and metallic graze her finger. 

_A lighter._

She quickly looked at the desk again. She'd failed to notice before that there was a glass of vodka on the left side. If she timed it just right...

"Any day now, Kairi." Xehanort tapped his fingers against his desk. "I am not always a patient man. And neither is  _he."_

Kairi looked between Vanitas and Xehanort. Her furious expression suddenly relaxed as she began to pull out her phone, hiding the lighter behind it. They didn't appear to suspect her intentions right away.

"...You know what, Xehanort?"

Xehanort raised an eyebrow. Kairi took the phone out the rest of the way, turning the screen towards herself. There was a faint  _click_ as it lit up, reflecting an orange light against her face.

_"I'm glad you gave me a reason to stop caring about you."_

Kairi flung the lighter. Time seemed to slow down as it flew through the air, heading straight towards the alcohol. Eraqus took the momentary distraction to disarm Vanitas and shove him into the yakuza that were behind him. Kairi grabbed her father by the arm and yanked him to the ground as the lighter landed, setting off a blast of flames on Xehanort's desk. The old man managed to scramble under his desk, unscathed by the explosion. A couple of the men around him screamed as their clothes and skin caught on fire. Xehanort coughed, waving away the smoke that was clouding his eyesight as the fire alarms went off. He managed to catch sight of Eraqus and Kairi standing back up and kicking the door open. The deed that was on his desk had disappeared. He slammed his fist on the now empty spot, his nostrils flaring.

"STAND UP, YOU FOOLS!" he shouted at his men. He pointed at the two thieves who were running down the hall. 

**_"GET THEM!!!"_ **

****

 "Ta ta, handsome!"

Larxene blew a kiss at the last yakuza that ran off shortly after getting a call from a headset he was wearing. She noticed that things were beginning to pick up. Xehanort's men were alert and frantic, running around the building as they began barking orders at each other. She tilted her head curiously.

"...Huh."

_"Larxene!"_

"Hmm?" she turned, hearing Marluxia's voice behind her. She approached him at the foot of the stairs.

"Mind telling me why Xehanort's thugs are running around like a flock of headless chickens?" Larxene raised an eyebrow.  _"Please_ don't tell me this was Roxas's fault."

"Even that would be more preferable to what happened." Marluxia rubbed his temple.

"...The meeting did not end well. They're hunting for the Kogoshikaze's patriarchs as we speak."

Larxene placed her hands on her hips. "What happened?"

"They've stolen an important document. Has something to do with a valuable plot of land that Xehanort wants. But that's the _least_ of our worries right now..."

 She felt Marluxia slip a small vial into the palm of her hand. She closed her fingers around it, looking up at him curiously.

"What's this?"

"Nectar from the Japanese Pieris. I wouldn't recommend drinking it. Highly toxic if it's ingested. It's one of my favorites." he grinned.

"I get it. You like flowers." she rolled her eyes. "What do you want me to do with it?"

"I need you to coat your _Foudre_ with this poison. That way, you can use it on _him."_

Marluxia's eyes darted upwards. Larxene followed his line of vision to whatever he was staring at. It was Vanitas, running across the second floor with a frustrated expression.

"...You're kidding, right?" Larxene turned her attention back to Marluxia. "He'll see me coming from a mile away. And I thought you wanted to _capture_ him, not _kill_ him."

"You only need to put enough to debilitate him. If it isn't too strong of a dose, the worst it can do is make him confused and give him nausea. In his weakened state, he won't be able to fight back."

Larxene scoffed. "So what, then? Did Roxas back out?"

"No. He's here." Marluxia narrowed his eyes. "...But Vanitas is too powerful of an opponent, even for him. We must do what we can to give him the upper hand."

"Ugh, _fiiine."_ she stuck out her tongue in disgust. "I'll help him out. As long as I get to see that monster suffer for hurting Strelly, I don't care what I have to do."

Marluxia's gaze softened. "Thank you, Larxene."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't rub it in." Larxene waved her hand dismissively. Her cheeks betrayed her aloofness, turning a faint shade of pink. Marluxia rubbed his head awkwardly.

"...I'll go get Roxas. See if you can get the job done by the time I come back."

"Right."

She watched him run off from the corner of her eye. Larxene sighed, then bent down to pull her knives from the inside of her boots. She lightly dabbed the tips with the nectar, then shoved the vial into her blouse. Larxene glanced up one more time to see if Vanitas was still nearby. He'd stopped for a moment, having a heated conversation with a couple of yakuza that seemed a bit too relaxed with the severity of the situation.

_...I've got to get higher._ Larxene scanned her surroundings to see if there was something tall and climbable. Her eyes landed on a shipping crate that was pressed against a concrete pillar. She sneered.

_Perfect._

Quietly, Larxene sprinted over to the crate. She grabbed onto the metal bars and hoisted herself up, using the indentations between them as footholds. Once she reached the top, she hid behind the pillar so she wouldn't be seen. She slowly peeked past the corner until she could see Vanitas's whole body. Gripping the knives tightly, she aimed at his arm.

_See you in prison, asshole._

Larxene reeled back with her arm. But just as she was about to throw them, someone came at her from behind and grabbed her by the wrist. They squeezed until she dropped her weapons.

"Whatcha doin' there, Larxene?"

She pulled away and rammed her elbow into her attacker's abdomen.

"Uh, _ow."_  

"What the hell, Xigbar? That actually _hurt."_ she rubbed her wrist.

"Whoopsie." Xigbar snickered. "Didn't mean to be so rough. I was just passing by when I noticed you aiming those knives at one of _us."_

Larxene bit her bottom lip.

"...I wasn't going to throw them. I was...practicing."

_Wow. That's the worst lie I've ever come up with._ a bead of sweat trickled down the side of her head.

_"Practicing,_ huh?" he repeated. "That's all you were doing?"

"Of course." Larxene swished her hair sassily, avoiding direct eye contact.  "Why would I lie to you? I've got nothing to hide."

Xigbar tutted, patting her on the shoulder.

"...Even if I did believe you, you're clearly not understanding your place in this clan. Mind if I give you a little...' refresher'?"

"I'm good, thanks." Larxene pushed his arm off.

"Oh, that wasn't a request." Xigbar's smile faded. "That was an _order."_

They stared at each other in tense silence for several minutes. Larxene was the first to react, attempting to drive her foot into the same spot where she'd hit Xigbar before. She gasped as he caught her leg before the attack could land, then swung her around until her head smashed into the pillar. Larxene managed to stay conscious for a moment but was knocked out cold when he kicked her across the face. Xigbar picked her up and flung her comatose body onto his shoulder.

"You really should've been more careful, Larxene. In this place, the walls have _eyes_. _"_

****

Meanwhile, Eraqus and Kairi had managed to find a place to hide. They slipped into an unlocked storage closet, completely unnoticed. Kairi was busy peering through the cracked-open door, waiting for the number of men scattered across the hallway to die down.

"...All we need is an opening. If we're lucky, we might just make it out of here."

Eraqus rubbed his face with his hands, disheveling a bit of his grayish-black hair. He glanced over at his daughter.

"...Kairi, I-"

She raised her hand to cut him off.

_"Don't._  Right now, we need to _focus."_

Eraqus lowered his head. They both collectively sighed at the same time. Kairi stole a glance at him, feeling a little guilty. Even though she was still upset with him and what he did (which was justified, considering the mess he'd made)...at the end of the day, he was the only family she had left.

"We can talk about it later. Okay?"

Eraqus conceded with a curt nod, not wanting to prod her any further. Kairi went back to keeping watch. 

"...It doesn't seem like Xehanort's men are stopping their search any time soon. Not until they find us. We're going to have to make a run for it and fight them along the way." Kairi shut the door as silently as possible, then turned around and lied back against it.

"Let me know when you're ready."

 Eraqus rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

"...Perhaps...there is something else I can do."

Kairi raised an eyebrow as he pulled something out of his pocket. It was a small, black, rectangular object that had a few buttons on it.

"A pager...?" Kairi mused. "What are you doing with one of those? Weren't they discontinued?"

"Not entirely. I have my ways." Eraqus started typing in code with letters and numbers. She couldn't quite make out what the message was as he sent it.

"I use this sometimes, for emergencies. It's much more difficult to track the signal of a pager these days. They'll see the message sooner or later."

"Who?"

Eraqus shoved the pager back into his pocket.

"Hopefully, someone who is willing to help."

****

"Gosh. I wonder what's taking them so long."

 

Mickey looked down at his custom watch, complete with white, gloved, hour-and-minute hands. His tail twitched as the door to the bistro flew open, almost hitting the wall. Donald's furious gaze met his oblivious one.

 

_...Uh oh. He's angry._

 

"YOU'VE GOT SOME EXPLAINING TO DO!" Donald aggressively pressed his finger against his friend's nose.

 

Mickey blinked. "Huh?"

 

"...We'd better head outside to talk about this." Goofy pulled Donald back, then motioned for Mickey to follow. He went with them to the police car and (reluctantly) entered. He flinched as the doors locked.

 

"What's this all about? I hope you're not planning on _arresting_ me. Sure would ruin my day!" he smiled nervously.

 

"WE MIGHT AS WELL!" Donald fumed, sinking into the passenger seat. Goofy sighed.

 

"We ain't gonna arrest you, Mick. Your knowledge of the yakuza has been pretty helpful, especially since you're one of 'em. I can understand why ya had to hide _that_ from us for a while..."

 

Mickey crossed his arms. "...But?"

 

_"BUT?!?!"_ Donald shot up, turning his body around to face the back seat.

 

"'But' NOTHING! YOU KNOW _EXACTLY_ WHAT YOU DID!!!"

 

"I really _don't...?"_   he replied sheepishly.

 

Goofy turned around to face Mickey as well. He lifted a metal suitcase that had the insignia of the Kogoshikaze on it. Mickey's eyes widened.

 

"...Why didn't you tell us that Sora was a yakuza?"

 

He gulped, tugging at the collar of his shirt.

 

"...It...it wasn't my place to say."

 

Donald looked like he was about to explode. Goofy coughed loudly to catch his attention and calm him down. Mickey watched as Donald shot his head back towards his partner and hissed a scathing response. He was pretty sure he heard the duck throw out a few inappropriate swear words under his breath too, but it was hard to tell with his unique 'accent'. Once they finally stopped arguing, Donald took several deep breaths and settled back down into his seat. Mickey sighed wearily.

 

"I'm sorry. I know it was wrong of me to hide that from you guys. I know how much you two care about Sora and how much you worry about him. I kinda understand it myself..." 

 

Mickey shook his head.

 

"...But the one who shoulda told you was Sora himself. Not me."

 

"I can't even _begin_ to imagine all the bad stuff he's probably done..." Donald shuddered. 

 

"Why wouldn't he tell us? Does he not trust us anymore? Does he _hate_ us for not solving his case sooner...?"

 

"This is _exactly_ why." Mickey leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs.

 

 "He was probably afraid of how you two would react to the truth. Knowing he _willingly_ chose a darker path for revenge..."

 

Goofy winced. His eyes drifted over to the corner of the dashboard, where he kept a picture of his son. Smiling from ear to ear with a large bass in his arms, along with Donald's three nephews.

 

"...There's still a chance, right? A chance that he can quit bein' a yakuza for good?"

 

"It's not that simple, Goofy." Mickey shut his eyes. "Once you become yakuza, you're in it for life. Unless you die, survive a beating from them, or ya have some other kind of special case, chances of leaving or  _wanting_ to leave are pretty low. And even if you made it out, that kind of lifestyle can follow you."

 

Donald and Goofy were saddened by Mickey's harsh but truthful words. It seemed like there was nothing they could do for him...

 

"But don't worry! Sora's a lot tougher than he looks." He patted their shoulders. "Whether or not he decides to leave that kind of life...I'm sure he can handle whatever's thrown at him."

 

"You're _sure?"_ Goofy asked apprehensively.

 

Mickey nodded. "Positive. You've both gotta have a little more faith in him. Alright?"

 

"...." Donald rubbed his eyes.

 

"Okay. We'll take your word for it, Mickey. But I am _not_ happy about this."

 

"That's perfectly fine. But in the end, it's still _his_ choice."

 

"...Fair enough."

 

Their conversation was interrupted by a faint, incessant beeping noise. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy looked around in confusion.

 

"...Gawrsh, what's that?" Goofy pulled out his phone. "It ain't comin' from me, that's for sure."

 

"It isn't from me, either." Donald glanced over at Mickey.

 

"...Well? It has to be from you."

 

Mickey began rummaging through his pockets, both in his coat and his pants. With no success from his phone, he tried again until he finally took out a small, silver pager. The screen was flashing with a code, which he deciphered after staring at it for a few minutes:

 

**EMERGENCY. NEED BACKUP.**

 

"...That can't be good." Mickey put the pager back in his pocket with a distressed expression.

 

"What's wrong?" Donald inquired.

 

"A friend of mine is in trouble." He scooted closer to the car door.

 

"I need to go and see what's happened. Sorry for bailing on our hangout, fellas."

 

Goofy unlocked the doors. "...Do you need any help?"

 

Just as he was about to say 'no', a thought suddenly occurred to him. He looked at Donald and Goofy, tapping his fingers against the door handle.

 

"...Actually...there _is_ somethin' you guys could do."

***

Marluxia silently shut the door where Roxas and Lea were hiding. They were caught up with what to do once Vanitas was down and ripe for the taking.

_"When I knock three separate times on the door, you can come out. You two will carry the body while Larxene and I keep you covered. When the coast is clear, move as quickly as you can without moving him around too much. The poison won't work forever."_

_Lea shook his head. "Yeesh. Couldn't be that easy, I guess."_

_"We'll pull it off." Roxas nodded. "I know we can."_

_"Your words are encouraging, Roxas." Marluxia smiled a little. "...But we should be prepared for the worst either way."_

_"Yeah."_

_"I'll be right back. I'm going to check on Larxene's progress. She should've gotten the job done by now..."_

_"Seriously? MORE waiting???" Lea groaned._

_"Stop yelling!" Roxas covered his mouth. "You're just ASKING to get caught at this point."_

Marluxia let out an annoyed sigh. While working with Roxas wasn't too bad, his cop friend was a pain.  It was a mystery how the boy managed to put up with that hotheaded blabbermouth.

_...No time to worry about it now. I have to hurry._

"Yo, Marluxia!"

He paused midstep. Marluxia turned his head around to see Xigbar sprinting towards him.

"Where've you been, buddy?" he wrapped his arm around Marluxia's shoulders, acting a bit friendlier than usual. "I've been looking all over for you!"

"Is that so?"

"Yep." the lieutenant let him go. 

"There's something I wanted to show you. Mind coming with me for a sec?"

Marluxia's eyes drifted towards the door, then back to Xigbar.

"It won't be long," he said in a chill, laid-back tone. "I'm kinda busy myself. Still looking for those two dumbasses that stole the deed. But once we _catch_ them? Damn. It's not gonna end well. You know what we like to do with _traitors."_

"...I'm aware." Marluxia clenched his jaw.

_Has he figured me out? Not that there's any way for me to get away from him now. It would be too suspicious if I refuse..._

"Hurry up, 'Graceful Assassin.' We're burning daylight." Xigbar walked away and started heading for the elevator. Marluxia walked behind him, trying his best to remain calm.

Xigbar pressed the button on the side, to which the elevator opened up automatically. The two men strolled inside. Marluxia watched him press the button for a floor he didn't recognize. He jumped as the elevator's lights flickered, heading downwards.

"...I didn't know you had a basement level in this building." 

Xigbar shrugged. "You know Xehanort. Always full of surprises."

"Hmm." Marluxia wasn't too enthused with the new bit of information. Xehanort's definition of a 'surprise' was never a good thing. 

The elevator reached the bottom floor, hitting the ground with a light _thunk._ The door slid open, revealing a dark, narrow hallway.

"After you." Xigbar nudged him forward. Marluxia steadied his breathing and stepped out with the lieutenant right behind him.

"Alright. What did you want me to see?"

"In a minute." Xigbar walked past him. "Follow me."

They walked the rest of the way in silence. After a few minutes, Marluxia was able to make out another door at the end of the hall. The knob was rusted and the paint was chipped, as if the room hadn't been used in a very long time (or at least wasn't well-kept). Xigbar opened the old door with little trouble, making it creak loudly in protest. As Marluxia processed what was inside, his throat went dry.

_...Larxene...?_

The top half of her body, including her arms, was tied to a chair with rope. Her head hung low as a few droplets of blood fell onto her pants. There were cuts and bruises all over her skin. She was barely breathing at all. The yakuza that were surrounding her turned to stare right back at him, grinning maliciously. Marluxia attempted to reach her but was held back by Xigbar's iron grip.

"Easy there, tiger. You shouldn't touch in the state she's in. It'll hurt her more than it hurts you."

"You.... _bastard."_ Marluxia's hands shook with barely restrained rage. "What could she have possibly done to warrant _this???"_

Xigbar scoffed. He walked over to Larxene's limp body, yanked out the _Fourdre_ from inside her coat and threw them at Marluxia's feet.

"You must really think I'm stupid. I know you were the one that put her up to tranquilizing Vanitas. I caught her in the act. So naturally, she's getting _punished_ for it."

Marluxia gritted his teeth in frustration, biting back an insult. If he pushed any further, he'd end up just like her. Xigbar crossed his arms, raising his head a bit in indignation.

"You working with Eraqus? Did he pay you?"

"No."

"Then why the hell did you do it? What's in it for you?"

"...." Marluxia remained silent.

Xigbar grabbed him by the shirt and brought him closer, scowling.

"I'm not messing with you anymore. I'm dead serious. What were you planning on doing?"

"Threaten me all you like. You're getting nothing out of me." Marluxia smirked, an amused gleam in his eyes.

"And I'm sure you wouldn't give a damn if I beat the shit out of you too, right?"

"Now you're catching on."

Xigbar shoved him back. He rubbed his eye, thinking of a way to coerce the information out of him. Marluxia felt his chest tighten as the lieutenant's eyes suddenly lit up with an idea.

"...Alright. If you're gonna be like that, I have other ways to make you crack." Xigbar snapped his fingers.

Marluxia winced as they smacked Larxene across her face, effectively waking her up. She let out a strangled gasp as a bit of blood pooled out from her lips. Xigbar approached and raised her head by pulling at her hair. She glared at him with as much hatred and defiance as before, even though she was too weak to do much else.

"You get _three_ more chances to talk before I decide to beat this bitch senseless. So I'll ask _again."_ Xigbar clenched the strands of Larxene's hair.

"What's the real reason why you did it, _traitor?_ How deep does this go?"

Marluxia still refused to reply, his eyes stone-cold. Xigbar drove his fist into Larxene's ribs, making her cough out blood.

"What. Was. The _reason."_

"...Don't...tell...this fucker... _anything...."_ Larxene wheezed, grinning to herself. "I want to see...how desperate he is....for answers. About time...we turned the tables....on _him."_

Marluxia gazed at her sadly. Xigbar's arm raised, ready to slap her across the face. But just as he was about to hit her, he paused abruptly.

"You know what? I've got a better idea." he turned his eye towards the other yakuza.

"...Bring me a bucket of water."

The yakuza did as they were told, finding the largest bucket they could find in the room and filling it to the brim with ice-cold water. Xigbar took it from them, then flung the contents all over Larxene's quivering body. Marluxia's eyes widened as he finally heard her cry out. It wasn't easy to get her to drop the cruel and unfazed act she always put on.

"Did you know that _Foudre_ means 'lightning' in French?" Xigbar rested his foot on the edge of Larxene's chair, making it lean back. 

"I guess it suits her pretty well. She's quick. Silent.  _Deadly._ But a little too unfocused when it comes to her target. Leaves a pretty big mess that's a pain to clean up, too."

Marluxia's eyes followed Xigbar as he walked across the room and stopped in front of a cabinet. He opened it and pulled out a stun gun, then cranked it up to the highest voltage. Marluxia dashed over to stop him, but was grabbed from behind and pinned down to the floor by the other clan members.

"I'm a little fed up with it, honestly. Since she ain't really one of us like you are, she's expendable. We could always replace her with someone better from your crew."

Xigbar dangled the weapon inches away from Larxene's chest, gazing at Marluxia tauntingly. 

"What'll it be, chief? You wanna give me some answers? Or should I light her up like a Christmas tree? That'll be fun to watch."

He brought the gun a little closer to her skin. Larxene took an agonized breath in at the prickling sensation. Marluxia fought to free himself, desperate to defend his second-in-command. A title she'd rightfully received as a yakuza...and as a friend. 

He gasped as Larxene slightly lifted her head to look at him. She was terrified, no matter how hard she tried to mask it. And yet, she shook her head and mouthed the word 'no' to him. Fully aware that if he told the truth, they would lose their only chance to get revenge. Even if she died, Roxas could handle the rest. Marluxia knew that was what she was thinking, even if she didn't have the strength to say it. 

... _But...can I truly accept that...?_

Losing his patience, Xigbar sighed loudly.

"...So be it. You've made your choice."

Larxene heard the weapon crackle as electricity flashed in her eyes. She closed them, accepting her fate.

_"STOP!!!"_

Her eyes snapped open just as the gun turned off. Xigbar backed away from her and directed his attention over to Marluxia.

"...Well?" the lieutenant said with a shit-eating grin.

"...We were going to lock him up. Have him spend the rest of his days in prison. We had plenty of evidence to give to the police if they questioned us."

Larxene lowered her head. Xigbar hummed, putting the gun down on a table.

"...Anything else?"

"..." Marluxia hesitated. Xigbar threatened to reach for the weapon again.

_"Backup,"_ Marluxia spat out hastily. "We brought...backup. An ex-yakuza and a cop."

"Interesting..." Xigbar crossed his arms. "Using total strangers that can pass right under our radar. If it weren't for me, you would've gotten away scot-free."

Xigbar walked over to Larxene. He pulled out a knife and cut the ropes that were restraining her. With no support to hold herself upright, she slipped off the chair and hit the ground face-first. Her hands trembled as her blood-stained fingernails lightly scratched the filthy, wooden floor.

"...Your savage little nymph gets to live another day. _You,_ on the other hand, are gonna take me to your 'backup'.  _Right now."_

Xigbar nodded at his men. The clan members forced Marluxia to stand back up, then began pushing him to the door.

_"Move it."_

 He turned his head slightly to see how Larxene was doing. She'd managed to sit up, propping her injured body against the chair. She wouldn't even look at him. It didn't take a genius to figure that she was furious with him for foiling their plans. With a heavy heart, Marluxia let the yakuza drag him out of the room.

Once she was all alone, Larxene stared down at her bloody hands with a defeated look in her eyes. Her vision blurred with exhaustion, and perhaps...something a bit more sincere.

_...You idiot. Doing that for me. When did you get so sentimental...?_

****

_"'Three knocks',_ he said. _'I'll be right back',_ he said..." Lea mumbled to himself.

"Tch. What a load of bullshit."

"Come on, Lea. Don't be like that." Roxas's glanced at the door.

"...Maybe something happened. I hope he's okay."

"You're actually _worried_ about that guy?" Lea's lips curved upward.

"Did you forget he's yakuza? He could sell us out if he felt like it, you know."

"They're not all like that." Roxas sat down on the floor. "...I wasn't. And for as long as I knew him, Marluxia wasn't the type to turn his back on useful people."

_"Useful._ That's the keyword here." Lea huffed.

"I'm sure that if I wasn't with you, he'd hand me over to his boss without a second thought."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

 "Well _damn,_ man. You didn't skip a beat telling me that. _Really_ feeling the love."

Roxas stifled a laugh. "I'm just being honest with you."

"Then _lie."_ Lea leaned over and ruffled his hair. "Spare my _feelings_ , for crying out loud."

Before he could give his friend a snarky retort, Roxas heard a loud _knock_. He exchanged a surprised look with Lea, then they stared at the door for a few minutes.

"...What, no second or third knock...?" Lea said, keeping his voice low for once.

_Knock._

"Ah, there it is. Just one more..."

Silence. It took about two more minutes until the last one was heard.

_...Knock._

"That's our cue. What now?"

Roxas rubbed his head. "...I guess I'll get it."

He stood back up and calmly approached the door. Carefully, he spun the doorknob and opened it just a crack. He saw Marluxia's pink hair and his icy blue eyes, staring right back at him. Roxas cleared his throat.

"...Is it safe?"

There was a slight pause before he answered. Marluxia nodded slowly. Roxas frowned, sensing that something was off. Before he could shut the door, someone kicked it wide open with enough force to knock him down.

"Roxas!" Lea rushed over to help him back up. He gasped as a horde of weapons were suddenly aimed at their faces. A large group of yakuza was facing them, along with one of Xehanort's lieutenants.

Lea gulped. _...Me and my big mouth._

****

"Any luck yet?"

Ansem turned his head towards Xemnas, giving him a hard glare.

"If I had found them, I would have told you already...'Superior.'"

"'Lieutenant' will suffice." Xemnas shook his head. "I am but the third. You're the fourth. We're all at the same level."

"Are we? It's obvious that Xehanort holds the boy and that one-eyed fool to a higher regard than us."

"And?"

Ansem smirked. "I'm just waiting for the day that those two fall out of his favor. You can see it too, can't you?"

Xemnas hummed at his statement.

"...Good things come to those who _wait."_

They continued to walk down the hall when all of a sudden, there was a low jiggling noise from the storage closet behind them. Xemnas motioned for Ansem to get to the other side of the door. They pulled out their weapons, placing their fingers on the trigger. Xemnas faced the door for a few seconds, then drove his foot into it. Unable to withstand the blow, the hinges loosened almost instantly. The door dropped flat on the ground, blowing a bit of dust into the air. Xemnas narrowed his eyes as he took a step inside.

Out of nowhere, Xemnas was tackled straight into the ground. Ansem reeled back to avoid being crushed but yelled when someone pinned his arm behind his back and twisted it. They only let go after both lieutenants dropped their weapons.

"Thanks for the extra guns." The soon-to-be patriarch of the Kogoshikaze snatched up Ansem's weapon. Eraqus gave her a quick nod as he picked up Xemnas's.

The two opposing clan members backed away from the lieutenants, who weren't very happy with being disarmed.

_"You're going to regret that."_ Xemnas pulled out a knife from inside his coat, while Ansem unsheathed a longer sword he'd been carrying on his belt. Eraqus grimaced.

"It is _you_ who will regret interfering with our escape. Stand down while you still have a chance."

Ansem and Xemnas blocked their path. Eraqus tutted at the two men.

_"...You were warned."_

The two lieutenants charged at them. Eraqus dodged the first swing of Xemnas's fist, which landed on the wall behind him. Ansem tried attacking Kairi with his sword, aiming for her neck. She narrowly avoided it by ducking her head, then kicked his legs out from under him. Grunting in frustration, he used his feet to propel himself back up. Xemnas kicked Eraqus in the chest and slashed downwards. Eraqus winced as the weapon cut his shoulder. He retaliated by finally using the gun he'd taken and shot Xemnas in the leg. Kairi threw herself at Ansem leg-first, grappled around his neck, and used the inertia to fling him over herself. His body slammed the ground, knocking the air out of his lungs.

The two patriarchs stood above Ansem and Xemnas, breathing heavily. Their eyes drifted upwards as the sound of footsteps got closer. Soon enough, Xehanort's men had them surrounded on every side. Almost all of them were holding a wide array of weapons, and those who weren't were massive brutes that towered above them. The two lieutenants got back up, sneering at Kairi and Eraqus.

"...All of this can be easily avoided if you return what you've stolen." Xemnas extended his hand towards Kairi.

"Give us the deed. Do so, and we shall hold no ill will towards your actions."

She narrowed her eyes.

"...Last time I checked, this document doesn't belong to _you_ either. You'll have to pry it off of my cold, lifeless body."

_"If you insist."_ Xemnas snapped his fingers.

Kairi and Eraqus took a few steps back as the yakuza inched closer, denying them the chance to escape.

"No openings this time." Kairi glanced back at her father. "Looks like we're stuck."

Eraqus breathed in sharply. He got into his fighting stance, holding both guns in his hands.

"...Then we'll  _make_ one."

Kairi smiled faintly, nodding in agreement. She turned to face one of Xehanort's lackeys and taunted with a flick of her finger.

" _Come on!"_

The yakuza let out their battle cries, heading straight for the duo. With guns blazing, Kairi and Eraqus ran towards the men and started mowing them down with all of the ammunition they had. Once they were out of bullets, they threw the weapons at the crowd and went right back to using their fists. Eraqus crushed the normal-sized yakuza rather easily, with punches that either sent them flying or flattened them into the floor. Kairi handled the brutes, who were too slow to strike her down. The pair would snatch the sword and knives from the armed goons as well, using their weapons against them.

Eventually, Kairi and Eraqus managed to carve open a path through the horde of yakuza. They punched their way through the remaining ones blocking the other end of the hall, then made a beeline straight for the stairs.

"DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE!!!" Ansem shouted in frustration.

Seeing that several of their men were down for the count and unable to follow orders, he glanced over at the other lieutenant. Xemnas's injured leg still seemed to be bothering him a bit, but not enough to deter him. He reached down for the bullet in his leg, dug into his flesh, then tore it out without so much as a flinch.

"Go on ahead. You'll move faster than me at this rate." Xemnas tore off the bottom half of his shirt and tied it around the wound to stop the bleeding.

"I'll contact Xigbar and Vanitas in the meantime. It appears that the two of us aren't enough to stop them."

"Hmph." Ansem picked up another sword from one of their men's unconscious bodies.

_"...We'll see about that."_

****

_...We failed._

Roxas's mind was numb. The plan had fallen apart before it could even start. In ten seconds flat, the yakuza had tied him and Lea up, then thrown burlap sacks over their heads. All he could hear was muffled angry voices as they were pushed around haphazardly. At some point, they were forced to sit down in chairs. After an indefinite amount of time had passed, the bags were pulled off. Roxas squinted at the sudden blast of light in his eyes. He quickly regained focus, noting that the source was a tabletop lamp.

"...I have to give you some credit, Roxas. I didn't think you would go _this_ far to find me."

Roxas's head swiveled to the left, where the grating, familiar voice had come from. He scowled.

_"Vanitas."_

He was standing next to Xigbar with a cocky grin, reveling in their success with at least _one_ thing today. Roxas looked over at Marluxia, whose long hair was covering most of his face. He was too ashamed to face the boy he'd agreed to help.

"How does it feel to be double-crossed, kiddo?" Xigbar asked. "Not to mention that it's someone you used to work with. If it were me, I'd feel like shit."

Roxas glared at Xigbar for a moment, then spit in his general direction. It landed on the lieutenant's leather shoe.

"Heh." Xigbar sneered. "I like this one. He's got spunk."

Vanitas rolled his eyes. He leaned closer to Roxas, inspecting him. He smirked at the sight of the white suit, which was clearly an attempt to make himself look more like a yakuza. If they hadn't known each other before, he might've been convinced.

"..I guess I _should_ say that it's nice to see you again. Y'know, since we were 'friends'," Vanitas air quoted with his fingers.

Roxas drew his head back in disgust. "The feeling _isn't_ mutual."

Losing interest in Roxas's snippy attitude, Vanitas's eyes turned towards Lea. The detective felt a bead of sweat trickle down his temple.

"...You had the guts to bring a cop with you, too? And it's the one that's your _best friend,_ no less."

"You remember when I said that?" Roxas said, mildly surprised that Vanitas bothered to recall any part of his time at their college.

"Please." Vanitas stood up straight. "It's only been a month or two. My memory isn't _that_ horrendous. Your brother couldn't remember basic groceries unless you gave him a shopping list."

He smiled darkly. "...How _is_ Ventus, by the way? Is he too broken to wake up after I _shattered his skull?"_

_"He's FINE."_ Roxas's voice shook with anger. _"No thanks to you."_

"Huh." Vanitas tilted his head. "So he has a stronger will than I thought. That's a shame. It would've been funny to see him as a mindless vegetable."

"Don't listen to him, Roxas." Lea glared at Vanitas. "He's just trying to get in your head. If you let him piss you off, he wins."

"Oh, but I've _already_ won." Vanitas sneered. "Look at yourselves! You're completely at our mercy now. _And you're not the only ones."_

"...What do you mean?"

Vanitas smirked at Lea. "We found your little friend outside. She thought she could break in when she heard all the chaos unfold. Too bad for her that we had another yakuza patrolling the area."

Roxas's expression shifted to fear and unease. Vanitas chuckled.

"Our guy managed to catch her pretty easily. Threw her completely off-guard. You two might know him."

They turned their heads towards the door as it slowly opened. Lea's pupils shrunk as the yakuza stepped into the light, holding Xion's limp body in his arms.

_"....Isa?!?"_

_"Xion!"_ Roxas's face was strained as he attempted to free himself from the ropes. Vanitas, along with the other yakuza in the room, laughed at them.

"You'll pay..." Roxas hissed under his breath.

Vanitas laid back against the wall. "You really think you can stop us? Stop _me?"_

He shook his head. "...It doesn't have to be me. Sooner or later, someone's gonna knock you down a peg. You'll get what's coming to you."

_"Cute."_ Vanitas's grin seemed a bit more strained. He looked up at the ceiling.

"...I think it's about time that I finished what I started. Since you're here already, I might as well pay your brother and sister a visit."

_"Stay away from them!!!"_ Roxas yelled.

"Sorry. I can't do that." Vanitas snickered. "It was the boss's orders, after all. I hope your last conversation with them ended on good terms. _You won't be seeing them again."_

Vanitas motioned for Isa to approach. The other clan members dragged over a third chair to where Roxas and Lea were. Isa set her down in the chair and began tying her up.

"Isa...." Lea's voice cracked. "...Why are you doing this...?"

His partner ignored him, continuing to wrap the rope around Xion. Lea's eyes squeezed shut.

_"ANSWER ME, DAMN IT!!!"_

"Can _someone_ shut that idiot up? I'm getting a migraine just _listening_ to him," Vanitas demanded, rubbing his head.

One of the clan members rammed their gun into the side of Lea's head, rendering him unconscious. Roxas's heart lurched when he saw a drop of blood sliding down his cheek. Vanitas took out his gun and lifted Roxas's head by the chin.

"At least you don't have to die alone. Your two best friends get to join you. _You're welcome."_

Vanitas's gloating was cut short as his phone began to ring. He let out an irritated groan, lowering his gun. Roxas breathed a bit more easily as Vanitas pressed the phone against his ear.

"Can't you people stop bothering me for _five minutes?_ I'm in the middle of someth-" he paused for a second as a deep, gravelly voice interrupted him.

"Oh. Xemnas. What the hell do _you_ want?"

Vanitas went silent for whatever Xemnas had to say. Roxas stole a glance at Isa, whose expression was stoic. It was impossible to see what was going on in his thoughts. Had he truly gone against everything he believed in and turned against them...?

"...Alright. We'll be there. And try not to fuck anything else up." Vanitas hung up and shoved the phone into his pocket.

"Xigbar. Looks like they need our help."

The second lieutenant shook his head. _"Seriously?_  How hard is it to catch an old man and his daughter? But fine. Let's go."

"Looks like we'll have to cut this reunion short, Roxas. And just when it was starting to get fun..." Vanitas sighed, a disappointed look on his face.

_"Keep moving."_ Xigbar pushed him towards the door. "We'll deal with these three later. The rest of our men will stay and keep an eye on them.  _Right?"_

The other yakuza nodded vigorously, fearing what Xigbar would do if they disobeyed his order. Isa remained silent and stood up. He walked over to guard the door once Vanitas and Xigbar stepped out. Marluxia finally looked back at Roxas with a guilt-ridden expression.

"...I'm sorry."

Roxas nodded indistinctly. 

"...I know."

****

_"HRRRAH!!!!"_

A group of yakuza backed away from the double doors that swung open. One of the clan members came flying in from the other side, screaming as he crashed into a couple of men. The ones left standing took several steps back as Eraqus strode through, cracking his neck. Kairi ran past him, performing a spinning kick. She struck down three of the yakuza with a single swing, then pulled out a knife she'd grabbed earlier. Eraqus barreled through the rest of the yakuza that were standing, with Kairi slashing around wildly in case they avoided him. Door after door they ran through, destroying any of Xehanort's goons that stood in their way. Until at the very end, they reached the stairs. They rushed down to the main floor, panting with exhaustion. Their clothes were torn, their skin covered in blood and bruises. But otherwise, still in one piece. They looked at each other, feeling momentary relief. All that was left was the exit, which was straight ahead.

_"End of the line."_

"Look out!" Kairi got in front of her father and deflected a bullet with the knife she was carrying. They watched as Ansem crept out of the shadows, dragging two longswords across the ground. 

"This is where your journey will end." Ansem raised one of the swords, aiming it at Eraqus and Kairi. "We shall destroy everything the Kogoshikaze have built, then reshape this city to our liking. With no one to stop us, Kamurocho will become something _new._ Such is the way of life, death, and rebirth."

"Pretty ambitious for a group of thugs." Kairi spun the knife between her fingers.

"If that really is Xehanort's master plan, then he's in for a rude wake-up call. Nobody's gonna sit around and let him win. Not us. Not the other clans. Not the cops. Not even regular civilians."

Eraqus nodded in agreement, placing his hand on Kairi's shoulder. "There will always be at least one person that fights the complete corruption of this city. There will always be _hope._   _That,_ Ansem, is the  _true_ way of life. Nothing you do will ever change that fact."

"Such nice words from a pair of fools." Ansem brought both swords together, forming an 'X' above his chest.

**_"...We shall see how strong your resolve truly is."_ **

Kairi and Eraqus braced themselves. Ansem yelled as he charged towards them, drawing back with both blades. Kairi bent over backward as he went for her first, nearly decapitating her. Eraqus retaliated by ramming his fist into Ansem's ribs. The lieutenant grinned at him, unfazed from the blow. He kicked Eraqus a few feet back. Before he could use his weapons, Kairi managed to throw Ansem off his game by driving her knife into the back of his shoulder. She cried out as he swung at her blindly, stabbing her arm in the process. Blood began to stain her coat as she backed away, clutching the injured area. Seeing the wound filled Eraqus with rage, to which he reacted by grabbing the swords with his bare hands. Ignoring the pain, he used all of his strength to pull the weapons out of Ansem's vice-like grip. Eraqus lifted the blades above his head, then slammed the hilts straight into Ansem's skull. The lieutenant fell to the ground in a crumpled heap with two large bruises on his head. Even so, they watched as he forced himself to get back up. Eraqus turned the blades around and pressed the tips against Ansem's neck.

"It's over. Stay down."

Ansem's hands clenched, quivering with fury. He was stuck in that position until Eraqus decided to put the swords down. That is... _if_ he wanted him to live.

"...Go ahead, then. Finish it." Ansem's shoulders sagged with exhaustion.

"Dying by your hands would be an honorable way to leave this world. Your name is just as feared as our Superior's....if not _more."_

Eraqus raised his head indignantly. Kairi stared at him with unease.

_Father...what will you do?_

Eraqus dug a little deeper into Ansem's skin. He noticed Kairi watching him from the corner of his eye. And suddenly....he stopped. He took the swords off of Ansem and stuck them into the ground.

"...No."

Ansem eyes widened. His expression quickly shifted into a grimace.

_"You would deny me the right to perish as a yakuza? That is how we ALL end up, sooner or later."_

Eraqus threw the swords several feet away from them. His gaze was as hard as steel.

"...An honorable death would be too good for you."

Ansem lowered his head. He punched the ground as Eraqus and Kairi marched past him, heading for the exit. Kairi reached out with her good arm, desperate to open the door.

**_BANG._ **

"AGH!!!" Eraqus felt an intense pain seize his left leg. Blood spurted out of his calf as a bullet tore right through it. Kairi caught him before he could fall over. She raised her head to see the one-eyed man from before, leering at them from the second floor.

"Oopsy-daisy!" Xigbar cocked his sniper rifle. "Guess I should've been more careful, firing at your boss like that. Then again...for an old man, he did a damn good job wiping the floor with our men."

Xemnas appeared from the shadows beside him. There was a trace of a smile on his lips.

_"Nice shot."_

"Eye for an eye, right?" Xigbar said, amused. "He had it coming."

"That's quite enough, you two." Xehanort stepped out from the shadows as well, along with Vanitas. "I'll take it from here."

The patriarch of the Kuroihebi walked slowly yet menacingly down the stairs. His cane clanged loudly against the metal steps, resembling the toll of church bells. Once he reached the bottom floor, the final strike echoed across the building. Kairi tried reaching for the door a second time, only for another bullet to graze her skin. She retracted her hand, breathing in and out shakily.

Eraqus touched and squeezed her arm, which relieved her a bit. He stood up straight, pulling away from her. Kairi's eyebrows creased as he stayed in front to shield her.

"...How many times must we go through this, Eraqus?" Xehanort continued to walk towards them. "How many times must we fight until you realize that I am right and you are wrong? How many times must I take away from your business? Your men's lives? Your child's innocence? Will you give up once I've stripped you of  _everything_ that matters to you?"

"What can I say? I've always liked sticking to my roots."

"How heartless of you," Xehanort smirked. "You're telling me you never cared about any of it? The yakuza way is all that matters?"

Eraqus shook his head.

"...You misunderstand. I care deeply about my clan, my men, and _especially_ my daughter. More than you could ever know."

Eraqus cracked his knuckles. He began walking towards Xehanort, despite the wound in his leg.

"What I meant was that I'm too stubborn to back down from a fight."

"Ah, so it's a _fight_ you want?" 

Xehanort turned his cane around. He grabbed the middle of the staff and pulled up, revealing that it was a sheath. The blade inside was pitch black, with scarlet streaks on either side of it. The stone eye that was now the hilt of the weapon seemed to stare at Eraqus as if it knew who he was. It gleamed under the fluorescent lights of the building.

"Very well. I gladly accept your challenge."

Eraqus's eyes darted over to the longswords he'd thrown away earlier. Xehanort ran towards him without hesitation, prepared to strike his old friend down. Eraqus did the same until he unexpectedly bent his knees and slid past Xehanort to grab one of the swords. Xehanort swiveled his body back around and slashed downwards, only for Eraqus to block it. Sparks flew as the pair attempted to gain the upper hand with clashes, thrusts, and parries. After narrowly impaling each other, Eraqus managed to disarm Xehanort. The blade spun around in the air and clattered uselessly when it landed on the floor. Xehanort remained on edge in his battle stance, while Eraqus did something a bit more unorthodox; lowering his weapon and leaving himself vulnerable.

"...It doesn't have to be this way."

Eraqus and Xehanort came to standstill. Skeptical of his old friend's statement, Xehanort decided to question him before doing anything else.

"Explain."

Eraqus's gaze softened, ever so slightly.

"You must know by now that I never wanted to be your enemy. You were the one who forced my hand."

"I have no regrets over what I've done. It was all a necessary sacrifice."

_"Was_ it?" Eraqus inquired. "Or was it your own hubris that convinced you of that?"

Xehanort scoffed, saying nothing in response. 

"...Xehanort." Eraqus took a step forward. "I am giving you one last chance. Stop this madness and leave Kamurocho in peace. You have nothing to gain by owning it all."

The old patriarch smiled strangely.

"If you'd told me this back when we were still two stupid boys learning to be men...I might have taken you up on that offer."

Eraqus looked down. "We were better people back then. I miss that."

"...Oddly enough...so do I."

Xehanort suddenly lunged forward and twisted Eraqus's arm, causing him to drop the sword. He socked him in the face, breaking his nose. Eraqus hit back twice as hard, making one of Xehanort's eyes swell up. They continued to beat each other relentlessly with their fists, yelling angrily all the while. Kairi could only observe, helpless as Xigbar's sniper was aimed directly at her chest. At some point, Xehanort successfully pinned Eraqus to the wall so he could bash his skull in as many times as possible. Eraqus grabbed Xehanort's arm before it could grab him, however, then kicked him to the ground with as much force as he could muster. Xehanort scrambled over to his sword, which was finally within reach. He used it to prop himself back up. He closed his eyes and wheezed, clutching his chest. 

"Seems...I'm not quite as spry...as I used to be."

 He heard footsteps approaching. Xehanort opened his eyes. Eraqus stood above him, his hand out for him to take. He was breathing heavily as well, worn out from all the fights he'd endured.

Xehanort chuckled. "...After all this time...you haven't changed at all. Reaching out even when it seems hopeless. The three children who carry your legacy are a testament to that." he glanced over at Kairi, who glared back with distrust.

"I will not ask again." Eraqus took a step closer. "What do you choose?"

Xehanort looked between Eraqus and his outstretched hand with a pensive expression. Then, much to everyone's surprise...he reached up and gripped it tightly. Eraqus helped his old friend stand up. Before he could find any words to say, Xehanort pulled him into a hug. Eraqus didn't reciprocate from being in too much shock...but was put in a bit of ease. For that brief instant, Kairi felt the hope that her father had always believed in.

 After a few seconds, Xehanort pulled back. 

"...I'm glad."

"About what?" Eraqus asked him with a hint of trepidation. 

Xehanort patted his friend's shoulder.

"...That I got to speak to you without any lies. One last time."

Before he could ask what Xehanort meant, he heard his daughter scream. And all

He saw

was the color **red.**

...A gunshot. He turned to look at Kairi just as he was impaled from behind. He lowered his head, seeing that it was Ansem's longsword. He gagged as Xehanort stabbed him in the chest, piercing his heart directly. He gave his friend a look of complete and utter betrayal.

"...I am sorry, old friend."

Xehanort and Ansem yanked out their blades. Blood pooled out of his mouth as he dropped to his knees then collapsed on the ground.

_"NO!!!"_ Kairi sprinted towards her father, tearing up at the burning pain from the bullet wound in her arm and the misery she felt in her heart. She got down on one knee and turned his dying body around. 

"P-please hold on. You'll be alright. I-I've got you." She ripped off another corner of her coat and pressed it against his chest, trying to stop the bleeding. But it was no use.

"Come on." she shook him. _"Come on!_ Please don't go! _Don't leave me!"_

Kairi gasped as he opened his dull eyes, just barely. Her face was too blurry for him to see all the way, but he knew it was her. He used what little strength he had left to place his hand on her cheek. Her cheeks were soaked with tears.

"It's...o...kay....Kai...ri...." he said with a gasp. 

"...Don't...c...ry....my...p...rin..." 

Eraqus coughed out blood, cutting off the rest of what he had to say. It splattered all over his mouth as his breathing sped up, becoming more difficult for him. Kairi squeezed his hand, sobbing quietly as he grew weaker. He knew he wasn't going to last much longer. There was so much he needed to tell her in so little time. It was then that he decided to give her one last message with what was left of his voice.

He smiled at her, caressing her cheek to the best of his ability.

"Sev...en...."

Kairi's eyes widened. She stooped her head and shoulders.

"What? What did you say?"

"Num...ber....sev....e....n...."

"...Seven?"

With his last message received, Eraqus drew his last breath and closed his eyes. Kairi felt his hand go limp.

"No. NO." Kairi's voice trembled. "Come back, papa. _Come back!!!"_  

She buried her face into the side of his neck.

_"I still need you!!!"_

 

"Alright, that's enough." Ansem bent down to grab her. "We'll be taking the deed from you now."

Kairi's head snapped up and she kicked him in the ribs, driving her heel into it this time. She heard a faint  _crack._ Ansem bit back a cry of pain.

_"Get AWAY from me, you bastard!!!"_

"Impudent wretch!" Ansem swung at her but was abruptly stopped by someone's hand.

_"You???_ But why?!?"

"That's no way to treat a lady, dumbass. Not to mention that now, she's officially the big boss of the Kogoshikaze." Vanitas sneered as he bent Ansem's hand in the wrong direction, forcing him to get back. He then pinned Kairi's arms behind her back to keep her from running.

_"Congrats on your new promotion._ You must be _so_ proud of yourself."

_"Go to hell,"_ she snapped back.

"Excellent timing as usual, Vanitas." Xehanort bent down next to Kairi. He took the deed out of her coat, which had miraculously stayed in one piece. Save for a single drop of blood on it.

"Sometimes doing the right thing isn't the best choice. Remember _that,_ Kairi, and you might live longer than your father did."

Kairi gritted her teeth.

"He may have not lived as long...but my father was more of a man than you could EVER be."

She rammed her elbow into Vanitas's abdomen, successfully freeing herself for just a moment. Kairi shot up and headed for the exit, pulling out her cellphone as well. She quickly dialed the first number that appeared in her contacts: the one for her office. She gasped as the call was picked up almost immediately.

_"Hello?"_

_"Kairi? Is that you?"_

She was flooded with a sense of relief at the voices of her two best friends. She'd caught them at the right time.

"Sora! Riku! I- _mmmph!!!"_

Kairi screamed and kicked violently as Vanitas caught her, covering her mouth as well. The phone fell to the ground, slightly cracking the screen.

_...No...!_

Xehanort picked up the phone. Sora and Riku were still on the phone, confused as to why she wasn't answering.

_"...Did she hang up?"_

_"The call's still going on, Sora. I think I heard something else. Like a scream..."_

_"Kairi, what's going on? Say something!"_

Xehanort smirked.

"...Hello, Sora. Riku. It's been quite a while since we've spoken."

There was temporary silence on the other line. Xehanort waited patiently for what they'd heard to sink in.

_**"...Where is Kairi?"**  _Riku's tone immediately became more hostile.  _"And why do you have her phone?"_

"If you want her alive, you'll have to come and get her. Oh, and do bring Sora with you. There's an important conversation I'd like to have with him."

_"What do want with me?"_ Sora asked.  _"If I'm the one you need, leave her out of this!"_

"As I SAID," Xehanort hissed. "She will leave if you come. You have 20 minutes."

The patriarch hung up before Sora or Riku could say anything else. He turned his attention back to Kairi and Vanitas.

"...Your weapon. Give it to me."

Vanitas shrugged. "It's all yours. Take it yourself since I'm a little tied up right now."

Xehanort took the gun from his holster, then aimed it at Kairi. Vanitas gave him a stunned look.

"Whoa, whoa. Weren't we gonna keep her alive for the rest of the plan?"

Xehanort sneered.

"All in due time, boy. Think of this as giving Sora a bit more... _incentive."_

****

Several minutes later, a red Corvette came crashing through the gates of Kuroihebi headquarters. The car shut off, then Sora, Riku, Dilan, and Aeleus burst out the doors with weapons ready to fire. But there was no need as the entire courtyard was seemingly a desolate wasteland.

"...It's quiet." Riku raised his Glock, narrowing his eyes.  _"Too_ quiet."

"What do you think they're trying to do?" Sora scanned the area warily.

"Not sure. That's a problem." Riku sighed. "...But we can't worry about it right now. We have to get inside."

"I'll handle this." Aeleus cracked his fingers as he reached the front door, then punched it wide open. The others stepped inside behind him. 

"It's quiet here, too." Dilan rubbed his chin. "Something is _very_ wrong here."

"Guys..."

"Sora, what is it?" Riku looked at Sora, who seemed focused on something. Riku followed his eyes to the floor, where there was a trail of blood. His face paled slightly.

"Kairi...and the boss..."

Riku jumped as Sora bolted down the corridor in the same direction as the blood.

"Sora, wait! It could be a trap!" he warned. Riku grunted as Sora was already out of earshot.

"Come on. Let's go after him."

Riku, DIlan, and Aeleus chased after Sora, using the trail to guide them. They eventually stopped when they saw an open door at the end of the winding corridors. The blood appeared to stop there. 

Cautiously, they crept towards the dark room. Riku froze when he saw Sora, crouching in front of a vaguely familiar figure. His best friend turned towards him, tears threatening to come out of his eyes.

"Riku...it's Eraqus."

Riku didn't register the name at first. Time seemed to slow down exponentially as he stared at the body long enough to see its face. Sora tried to snap him out of it by shaking him.

_"Riku...Riku...!_ Riku!!!" Sora slapped him. Riku blinked a few times, then finally looked at him.

"...Are you okay?"

Riku couldn't bring himself to look at it again. His heart felt like it was being shattered into a million pieces. He knew Sora was putting up a brave face since he wasn't. Usually, it was the other way around.

"I'm...I'm alright." Riku wiped a tear that fell from his eye. "I'll be fine."

"You don't sound fine."

"..." Riku turned towards Dilan and Aeleus.

"...Cover his body. Take it back to HQ." His voice was soft and shaky. "We'll stay to find Kairi."

Dilan winced. "But, Sir..."

"That's an _order,"_ Riku snapped. "Do _not_ test me right now. _Please_."

Dilan and Aeleus nodded solemnly. They did as they were told, covering the body with a tarp they'd found in the room. It was a supply closet.

_Discarded, like an inanimate object. That's how much Xehanort cared about his friend. That sick, twisted **monster...**_

"Hey."

Riku felt Sora tap his shoulder. He looked over at him.

"...If you need a minute...I can go on ahead."

Riku smiled faintly at him.

"...Sorry for freaking out on you like that."

"It's okay." Sora glanced at the closet sadly. "...I know you were closer to him than I was."

"Still." Riku closed his eyes. "He cared about you, too. He cared about all of us. It's just...not fair."

"...I know."

Riku took a deep breath, then placed his hand on Sora's shoulder.

"...We'll split up. I'll head upstairs while you keep checking down here. Kairi has to be close by, somewhere..."

Sora felt his heart speed up.

"Do...do you think that he...that _she's..."_

_"No."_ Riku squeezed. "She's alive. I can feel it."

"...I think I feel it, too." Sora placed a hand on his chest.

"Don't worry. We'll find her." Riku gazed out into the distance.

"...Let's hurry."

****

Sora checked every possible room he could find on the bottom floor. Kicking down the locked ones. Searching the empty ones. Digging through every nook and cranny or wide-open space. And eventually, he found a clue. Another trail of blood, disconnected from the previous one. It led down a dark hallway. 

_...Don't panic. Even if there's blood, Kairi could still be alive. Like Riku said._

Sora trudged forward with determination, into the depths of Xehanort's fortress. He continued to walk until he couldn't see anything. But he persisted, no matter how terrified he was on the inside. He used the flashlight on his phone to keep track of the blood.

He was going to save her. He had to get her out. He'd made a promise, to her and Eraqus. He wasn't about to break it.

Sora stopped when he reached a dead end. He used the phone's flashlight to look around the hall until he caught sight of another door. Once again, this room was left wide open. He went inside without a second thought.

"...Kairi?" Sora moved his flashlight in every direction to shine on anything that looked suspicious.

...And then...he  _found_ her. Lying on a white, flat mattress. 

"Kairi!" he rushed to her side.

"Kairi, wake up! It's me!" Sora exclaimed. "Riku's here, too. We came to save you!"

She didn't respond. Sora nervously reached out to touch her.

"...Kairi?"

His fingers grazed her hand. It was hardly warm to the touch. It was sticky, and he felt a few cuts. When he pulled back, he saw there was a bit of blood on him from where he'd touched her. Breathing unsteadily, he moved the flashlight across her body.

She was covered in blood. Her clothes were a mess. There were wounds and bruises everywhere. But what was most concerning to him was the large gash on the side of her head. 

_...It looks like a bullet wound. But not deep enough that it went into her head. It also looks...fresh._

Sora steadied himself for a few seconds, then leaned forward to check her pulse. He pressed his finger onto the side of her neck.

...Nothing.

Sora's heart beat faster. He checked on her wrist, then finally pressed his ear against her chest. But no matter where he checked, there was nothing. Nothing but horrible silence. He put his hands on top of her chest and began applying pressure to revive her.

"Wake up, Kairi. Wake up! Fight it!" Sora's voice raised as he became more desperate.

"Don't do this. We need you.  _I_ need you." 

After about ten minutes, he stopped. He slammed his fist on the corner of the bed.

_"WHY WON'T YOU GET UP?!?"_

Sora carefully picked her up from the mattress and hugged her body. She still felt slightly warm, but she wasn't waking up. Was she dying? Was she already dead? It didn't matter. It still hurt. It felt like he was losing his family all over again. And just like before, there was nothing he could do. He was useless. Useless. _Useless...._

...He broke his promise. He let them down. He let them all down.

_This can't be real...why? Why??? WHY?!?_

Unable to handle the pain anymore, Sora let out a shriek. His voice echoed through the empty halls, going on

and on

and 

**_on._ **

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know you're all probably screaming at me for this part of the story, but relax! It'll all work out in the end.
> 
> ...Maybe.


End file.
